HORIZO and TASSO

Horizo means “to appoint, determine, or decree something”.

Tasso means “to assign, appoint, or arrange”.

LUKE 22:22 And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined [horizo]: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed!

ACTS 2:23 Him, being delivered by the determinate [horizo] counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:

ACTS 10:42 And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained [horizo] of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.

All three of the preceding statements are speaking of the predetermined plan and purpose of God and the type of predetermined process Jesus had to carry out; they say nothing about a predetermined guarantee of salvation or damnation for individual people.

ACTS 13:48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained [tasso] to eternal life believed.

The entire Calvinist interpretation of this statement rests on one word tasso, which is found here in the grammatical form tetagmenoi. That term simply means “set, arranged, disposed, positioned, aligned.” It is used in the Scripture for soldiers arranged in order (Luke 7:8), people appointed to a task (Acts 15:2), and believers devoted to ministry (1 Corinthians 16:15), none of which imply eternal predestination.

This does not say that they were “foreordained” or “ordained before” to receive eternal life; it simply says they were “ordained” or “appointed”; it does not tell us when the appointment occurred and, as thus, cannot be used to claim they were foreordained to receive eternal life at some point in the primordial past.

This statement also does not explain whether this appointment was unconditional, corporate, responsive to the preaching of the Gospel, or done as a result of some other action on the part of the ones who were appointed.

Its immediate contrast is with those who “judged yourselves unworthy of everlasting life” in Acts 13:46, and, in that case, it is not God who created them unworthy of everlasting life (as Calvinists believe); they are the ones who judged themselves unworthy of it by their rejection of the Gospel and of God’s plan of salvation. If that is the case for those in Acts 13:46, it would seem likely it is the same (though an opposite response) for those in Acts 13:48, and that the latter judged themselves worthy by their response to the Gospel, and because they did so, they were appointed to receive eternal life. In other words, their belief may have been part of what appointed them a place in the world to come.

Many Greek scholars believe the form of tasso here is meant to convey being disposed, set in a certain mindset, for example, or drawn toward something. If that is the case, then this could be saying that those who accepted the Gospel were in the kind of mindset that made them disposed to receive it; not that they were predetermined by God to do so. This then could convey that the people whose minds were disposed to receive the message of eternal life believed and those whose minds were not, did not.

The context of this passage is a description of two different groups.

• Jews who rejected the message, who were filled with jealousy, contradicted, reviled, and thrust it aside (Acts 13:45-46), of whom it is said that they judged themselves unworthy of eternal life, which is a volitional act of their own will.

• Gentiles who receive the message, who were glad, honored the word, and believed (Acts 13:48), of whom it is said that as many as were disposed toward eternal life believed.”

This could point to the possibility that the Jews who rejected the Gospel had a self-disposition of rejection (they were in a mindset/attitude that motivated them to reject it), and the Gentiles who accepted it had a self-disposition of receptivity (a mindset that motivated them to accept it). The point could be that the Jews who rejected the Gospel had an attitude toward it that led them to reject it (in terms of how they were disposed toward its message), and the Gentiles who accepted it had the opposite attitude and disposition.

On a more technical note, the participle describes a present condition, not an eternal decree because the grammar indicates a current state at the moment of preaching, which is why some have translated this, “As many as were in the condition of being disposed toward eternal life….” This fits the Greek grammar, Luke’s narrative contrast between the Jews and Gentiles, his focus on human responsibility, the immediate context and flow of the chapter, and the overall message about salvation in the book of Acts.

The Calvinist interpretation of this passage as (supposedly) meaning that these believers believed because they had been foreordained to receive eternal life creates several contradictions

• If Acts 13:48 means unconditional election, why does Luke say the Jews judged themselves unworthy? Calvinism says God judged them unworthy.

• Why does Luke emphasize the Gentiles’ joy, honoring, and receptivity to the Gospel? Calvinism says their attitude is irrelevant since only election matters.

• Why does Luke never mention predestination in the entire chapter? Calvinists have to import it into the chapter.

• Why does the verse not say “predestined” or even “ordained before”? Calvinists have to read that idea into this passage. If this statement was intended to mean that God “appointed them before” (in the primordial past) to receive eternal life, there is a form of tasso, which we will see in the next passage, that could have been used to communicate that.

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The goal, as I said in the first part of these studies, is to determine whether there are any statements in the New Testament that describe individuals as being predestined to salvation or damnation long before they were ever born, without any truly free choice on their part. In other words, does the Bible state or describe that God effectively put every single human being He was going to create into two categories before He even created them:

• Some who will be saved no matter what

• Others who will be destroyed no matter what

And according to the standard view of Calvinism, such a thing would have had to have been His (supposed) original intent for them: that he wanted to create a human race full of wickedness so that he could destroy the majority of them and save a minority of them, and that he is the one who determined that they would be wicked and arbitrarily decided to save some and not all. The question is: Does the Bible actually say anything like that? Going through all the statements in the New Testament that might refer to God’s choice or predestination, and determining what type of predestination or choice they’re referring to, will help us to find out what the biblical answer to that question really is, and whether or not the Bible actually ever says anything like the Calvinistic idea of predestination.

Moving on to some other statements in the Bible about choice, election, and predestination, and God’s foreknowledge of things or people, there are a number of other words that are used in the New Testament for these things, each of which is only used a few times in relation to God. I’ll list most of these under their Greek words so you understand what they’re referring to.

HAIREOMAI

Haireomai essentially means “to choose something” or “to select for a purpose”.

2 THESSALONIANS 2:13-14 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen [haireomai] you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

There are several issues with interpreting this as individual people being predestined before their birth to be saved, while others are predestined to be destroyed:

• First, as has been the case throughout all these kinds of passages that may be referring to salvation, all of the pronouns and words like brethren are in the plural, not the singular. This does not refer to any individual person; it refers to the group (the corporate church) that God has predestined.

• Second, there are two different ways that the Greek grammar here can be taken, which means there are two different possibilities for interpreting these statements:

  • This could be talking about the corporate church that God predetermined would exist, which again does not necessarily mean every single person who is going to constitute that corporate church is predestined.

  • This could be talking about the process through which God’s people would receive salvation: that the calling of the Gospel that will lead to obtaining the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ is carried out through the sanctification of the Spirit and the belief of the truth, and that process was what God chose to use in the beginning, not that every individual person who will go through that process has been chosen from the beginning.

As an interesting side note, some of the older Greek manuscripts of the New Testament have a textual variation in 2 Thessalonians 2:13, which reads, “God hath – as firstfruits – chosen you, rather than the later reading, used in the King James Version, “God hath – from the beginning – chosen you”. If the oldest reading is the correct one, then this doesn’t say that God chose them “from the beginning”; it would say that God chose them to be firstfruits, the first (beginning) of the harvest.

PROCHEIROTONEO

Procheirotoneo means “to be chosen ahead of time” or “to be selected before something occurred”.

ACTS 10:41-43 Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before [procheirotoneo] of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.

This plural group was chosen to witness to the resurrection of Jesus. Though they were “chosen before”, the passage does not say how long before; they could have been chosen before the foundation of the world, or they could have been chosen not long before they became witnesses. In either case, they weren’t chosen to be saved or for salvation. They were chosen to serve as witnesses to Christ’s resurrection: chosen for a purpose and not for irreversible, individual salvation.

PROCHEIRIZOMAI

Procheirizomai means “to assign a duty or responsibility ahead of time”.

ACTS 22:14 And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen [procheirizomai] thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth.

ACTS 26:16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make [procheirizomai] thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;

In both of these passages referring to Paul’s original calling by Christ, the context is him being chosen to meet Jesus and to be an apostle: to see him, hear his voice, know his will, and serve as his minister and witness. Neither passage says anything about Paul being chosen to be saved at some primordial point in the past, and that he could not lose that salvation; it speaks about being chosen to serve God’s purpose as a minister.

PROETOIMAZO

Proetoimazo means “to be prepared beforehand”.

ROMANS 9:22-24 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared [proetoimazo] unto glory, Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

I’ve noted several times that the vast majority of the passages that Calvinists use for their ideas of predestination are being interpreted through the skewed filter of their presuppositions about predestination. For example, this passage says nothing about when these vessels of mercy were prepared unto glory. It doesn’t say that God did this in eternity past, which is precisely what Calvinists teach. It simply says that they were prepared beforehand; it doesn’t say how far beforehand.

This passage does not teach God unconditionally predestined individuals to damnation and destruction. Paul is explaining God’s right to reshape Israel and the Gentiles into a New Covenant people; he’s not defining a decree of individual, unconditional election. The “vessels of wrath” are those who persist in unbelief, not people God created for destruction.

On the technical side, there is a notable grammatical asymmetry: the vessels of wrath are “fitted to destruction”—κατηρτισμένα, a perfect passive participle whose responsible agent is not expressly named. In contrast, God actively “afore prepared” the vessels of mercy—προητοίμασεν. The text therefore does not state symmetrical double predestination in which God actively creates one group for salvation and another for damnation.

The Calvinist reading depends on an assumption the text never makes, claiming that:

• “Vessels of wrath” = individuals eternally decreed for damnation

• “Vessels of mercy” = individuals eternally decreed for salvation

• “Prepared for destruction” = God predestined them to be damned

But Romans 9 never says God created anyone for destruction; Paul uses passive language (“fitted for destruction”), not active (“God fitted them”). This is a crucial distinction. “Fitted for destruction” describes the present moral condition of hardened Israel: people who have made themselves vessels of wrath through persistent unbelief (Romans 10:21, 11:20–23). Thus, this is not referring to individuals; it is referring to corporate groups.

Paul is drawing his statements from Jeremiah 18, where the potter/clay metaphor refers to nations, not individuals. That is a passage we’ll examine in detail later, but the heart of the problem is that Calvinists interpret statements about the potter and the clay as referring to God and individual people when it’s referring to God and corporate groups of people (in particular, the nation of Israel, or, for that matter, any nation that God is shaping).

Romans 9:22 says God endures the vessels of wrath “with much patience.” The fact that God “endured” the vessels of wrath proves they are not predestined to damnation and destruction. If these vessels were individual people who were incapable of repentance, irreversibly reprobate, who God created for destruction, then His patience with them makes no sense. It only makes sense if He desires their repentance (Romans 10:1, 2 Peter 3:9), their condition is not the result of His eternal decree (from eternity past), and thus, their destruction is not inevitable. God endured the vessels of wrath in order to show mercy to the vessels of mercy, but not for the purpose of creating two fixed groups of eternally predestined individuals:

• Israel’s unbelief → opens the door for Gentile inclusion

• Gentile inclusion → provokes Israel to jealousy

• Israel’s jealousy → leads to their future salvation (Romans 11:11–14)

This leads directly to the next point: Romans 9:22–24 must be read in light of Romans 11, which explicitly contradicts the Calvinist interpretation. Romans 11:23 and 11:25 state that Israel’s hardening is temporary and partial (not set from eternity past and irreversible), and that the nation can be grafted back in if they do not persist in unbelief. Romans 11:32 adds that God desires to show mercy to all, which would be insensible if He determined ahead of time that He would not do so because He did not want to. Thus, if Romans 9 teaches unconditional reprobation (of the vessels of wrath), then Paul contradicts his own teaching just two chapters later.

Before closing out this part of this study (which will continue tomorrow with the rest of the passages in the New Testament), let’s look at one more example of proetoimazo that is sometimes misused to argue for a Calvinistic conception of salvation:

EPHESIANS 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained [proetoimazo] that we should walk in them.

What God prepares beforehand in this verse is the good works in which believers are to walk, not the believers who are to carry out the good works. As is the case with other passages that we have read, God has preordained that there is going to be a certain process through which salvation is accomplished. Passages like this that talk about that preordained process are not speaking about individuals being preordained; they are speaking about God’s plan and process being preordained.

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• Part 24 of the written study = Part 30 and Part 31 of the podcast episodes.

In this study, we’ll begin discussing thorny ground.

MATTHEW 13:7, 13:22

And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: …He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

MARK 4:7, 4:18-19

And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. …And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

LUKE 8:7, 8:14

And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. …And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

The Greek word translated as “thorns” in these passages is akantha. It is related to the word akmen, which means a “point”. From it we get our English word “acme”, which refers to the highest point of something. Some commentators call this “weedy ground”, but that is too gentle a description. This is more than weedy overgrowth; it is a thorny patch that not only stifles the possibility of true growth of anything other than itself, but it is a barrier against ingress, which may infer resistance to any further work of the Sower.

There are two stages to this thorny ground: the ground was thorny to begin with, and then, after the seed was sown, thorn bushes grew up, apparently responding negatively to the presence of the good seed. Some have interpreted this as ground that has the seeds of thorns in it, that are not visible to begin with, but which grow up into thorn bushes or thorny vines, choking out the product of the Sower’s seed.

The thorny ground differs from the other unproductive grounds in a crucial way:

• Wayside ground: the seed is never able to penetrate the wayside ground

• Stony ground: the seed penetrates the soil and sprouts up into a plant, but has no rootwork to allow any significant growth

• Thorny ground: the seed penetrates the soil, apparently grows roots, and produces life, but cannot grow to the level of truly fruitful life

Absence of life is not the problem with thorny ground; the problem is competing life. The thorns are in the same soil as the seed: the person’s heart contains both the word of God and worldly desires and concerns. The battle within the heart is over which will dominate.

We will look at some of the biblical references to thorns and their parallels to thorny ground a bit later, after we consider the four things they represent in this parable. But first, we will explore what it means for these thorny conditions to choke the seed’s productivity.

“Choke” and “choked”, in all three accounts, are variations of the Greek word sympnigō, which means “to choke”, “to crowd”, “to press closely”, “to suffocate”, “to smother”, “to completely strangle”, or even “to drown”. It carries the idea of an overwhelming inhibition of action or growth, usually resulting in taking the life of the thing that it is smothering or strangling.

The heart that is thorny ground is a heart full of worldly desires that smother (choke) anything the seed produces in the individual’s life. There are four thorny elements that suppress the work of the good seed, each of which we will address in detail:

• The cares of this world

• The deceitfulness of riches

• Lusts of other things

• Pleasures of this life

Some combine the last two (“lusts” from Mark 4:19 and “pleasures” from Luke 8:14), but since they are two different words, possibly with different emphases, we will consider each separately.

It may be that these four things are in (at least, a loose) order of severity, considering that the “cares of this world”, sometimes described in the Bible as distractions, are not always sinful things (as we will see), and a person being deceived is not as directly sinful as consciously choosing what you are longing for (“lust” is more commonly rendered as “longing”, which is not always an evil impulse), but the “pleasures” referred to in Luke 8:14 are specifically “sensual” in nature: hedonistic desires.^[1] Thus, this might be seen as escalating conditions, from distractions to deceptions to desires to deviant hungers.

That said, let us examine each of these issues in detail.

The “care[s]” of this world is the Greek word merimna, which refers to “concern”, “care”, or “worry”, usually carrying the idea of something that is causing anxiety to the point of distraction. Merimna comes from merizo, which means “to divide” or “to separate into different parts”. Because of this, many believe that merimna refers to a state of concern about worldly cares so distracting that it pulls the mind in different directions: it splits attention and causes a person to lose focus on what matters most, especially, in this context, on spiritual things.

This does not necessarily refer to a sinful state of mind (it is not automatically inherently sinful to feel concern about natural things), though it can lead to sin if it distracts you to the point where the things God wants you to focus on and/or act on are missed or left undone because your mind is so captivated by other things.

Paul expressed a positive example of this kind of “care”, using the same Greek word:

• 2 Corinthians 11:28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care [merimna] of all the churches.

A gentle example of this issue is found in Jesus’ interaction with Lazarus’ sister Martha in Luke 10:

• Luke 10:38-42 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

“Careful” is the Greek word merimnao, a related word to merimna, and from the same root merizo. Martha was distracted by all the things that she believed were of high priority that, at that moment, were of less importance than being with Jesus. This was not a sin on her part; it was not an act of rebellion; it was simply distraction. She couldn’t focus fully on Jesus because her mind was distracted with the other needs of the household in that moment.

Jesus focuses on two issues in this interaction: making spiritual growth and engagement a high priority and guarding against developing the wrong spirit towards others who we do not believe are doing the work we think is most important at that moment.

Martha was not doing anything wrong. Hospitality was considered a virtue, and she was serving Jesus. However, even good activities can become distractions when they pull us away from what is most important. Jesus points to Martha’s distraction and, perhaps, her attitude toward those who were not working as hard as she was on natural tasks as the problem, rather than her labor, which was positive in nature.

Jesus is not saying work is bad; he is teaching that service should flow from a heart that is centered on him, and it should not produce resentment against those who are serving or seeking him in other ways, at that time. Martha’s service and Mary’s devotion are both important, but putting Jesus and your relationship with him first is the foundation of faithful service.

In addition, Martha has become distracted, anxious, and resentful because of her many tasks, some of which may have been unnecessary additions of her own.

It is possible to become so busy doing things for the Lord that we neglect spending time with the Lord. Jesus gently reminds Martha, and all His followers, that “one thing is [the most] needful [necessary]” as our highest priority: to be with Jesus and to hear his word. And when other natural things prevent us from being able to do so, for a time, we must not develop resentment towards those who presently have that advantage.

There are a number of warnings in the Scripture regarding the distracting power of the “cares of this world”:

• Luke 21:34-36 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares [merimna] of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Jesus advises against letting these “cares” and “concerns” overwhelm you in the midst of his Sermon on the Mount:

• Matthew 6:25-34 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought [merimnao] for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought [merimnao] can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought [merimnao] for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought [merimnao], saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought [merimnao] for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought [merimnao] for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

As can be seen, many of the instances of the Greek word merimnao (that we saw in the account of Jesus’ conversation with Martha in Luke 10) are hidden beneath expressions like “take no thought”, when the word translated as “thought” is merimnao. Merimnao does mean to give thought to something, but it is usually used in the context of “concern” or “anxiety”.

As he did in his gentle reproof of Martha in Luke 10, Jesus is again stressing the need to put your spiritual life at the forefront of your priorities. If getting closer to God is our highest objective, it will reorder the way we see everything. And we may find not only that God will take care of our needs if we put him first, but we may also learn the incredible lesson that it is in our times of need, of lack, in seasons of shortfall, and in lean days, in the natural, that we grow richest and fullest in the spiritual.

There is also the foundationally critical lesson of faith in the face of daunting obstacles and against impossible odds that can only be learned in the forge fire that is the trial of that faith. It has been said that “Worry occupies heart-space that should belong to faith”. When we have been occupied by the armies of uncertainty and the legions of doubt, only the force of overwhelming faith can sustain and save us.

The solution to carrying the burden of the “cares of this world” is that we have to first give them to the only One who is big enough to bear them:

• 1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care [merimna] upon him; for he careth for you.

The Greek word for God’s care for us melo, meaning “care” or “concern”. We can cast our cares on the One who cares and is concerned for us.

After we have given God our cares and concerns, our anxieties and uncertainties, we must fill our hearts with other things so that there is no room for them to creep back in, take root, and start producing thorny conditions in our heart. Paul gives us a potent ingredient list of thorn-killers in his epistle to the Philippians:

• Philippians 4:4-9 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful [merimnao] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

Paul advises that we should not be anxious about those things that are in God’s hands alone. If our lines of communication with God are clear, which is what Paul is referring to when he is talking about prayer and supplication, and we have a spirit of gratitude (thanksgiving) regarding what God has done for us and is doing for us, we will find a place of peace that passes all understanding. To stay in the path that leads to that place, we have to guard our hearts and minds by protecting them from the incursion of thorny thoughts and feelings and by filling them with the heavenly herbicide that will kill them to the root, thoughts of those things that are:

• True (the Greek word alethos) truth in all of its forms, but especially the truth of the Scripture, which, if we are convinced it is true, will give us spiritual stability in the face of any uncertainty

• Honest (semnos): worthy of respect and honor, like recalling the testimonies of the great men and women of God who have gone before, who had implacable integrity, conviction-driven choices, and courage in the face of all enemies and against all odds

• Just (dikaios): An adjective often denoting that which is ‘righteous’: in perfect harmony with God’s unchanging standards of righteousness as revealed in the Scripture

• Pure (hagnos): holy and spiritually clean

• Lovely (prosphiles): pleasing and agreeable; its root meaning refers to the things that draw you toward your brother or into a deeper friendship^[2]

• Of good report (euphemos): worthy of praise or commendable – similar to the meaning of “honest” (that actually means worthy of respect and honor) but, perhaps, with the active sense of focusing on an sharing good reports about others rather than evil reports

• Virtue (arete): manly valor, excellence of character and conduct under pressure, courage in the conflict, etc.

• Praise (epaino): A combination of epi, which, in this context, means “to lift something up to its proper place, and aineo, which means “to praise”; thus, to lift up things which are worthy of praise or to lift up praise itself to its proper place

^[1] The Greek word translated as “pleasures” is hedone, from which we get our English word hedonism.

^[2] It is a combined form of pros, meaning “toward”, and phileo, meaning “to be a brother or friend”.

JESUS AS GOD’S “BEGOTTEN” SON

The language of Psalm 2, referring to God calling Jesus His Son and referring to him being begotten by Him, is quoted or alluded to in a number of other passages in the Bible. What can create confusion about the meaning of this language is that the biblical writers use it in multiple ways to refer to multiple things (as noted in the previous paragraph). For example, God spoke out of heaven several times in the Gospels (prior to Jesus’ resurrection to a new glorified existence), referring to him in this exact way:

• Matthew 3:16-17 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.^[1]

• Matthew 17:5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.^[2]

Both of the preceding examples (and others) show that Jesus was already declared to be God’s Son in the way he is referred to in Psalm 2:7 even before the New Covenant was established, and he had died and risen into a glorified existence. He was already in that position (as the Son of God and Messiah) before his resurrection, which will be important to understand when we look at passages that refer to Psalm 2:7 as (in one sense) fulfilled by his resurrection. In Matthew 16:16, Peter declared that he was (presently) “the Christ, the Son of the living God”, and Jesus clearly supported the use of those titles for himself when he testified that Peter’s declaration was based on God’s revelation of that truth in Matthew 16:17. This leads us to Paul’s quotation of Psalm 2:7, relating it to Jesus’ resurrection from the dead:

• Acts 13:33 God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.

Some have used this verse in (as we will see) a cherry-picked, selective way to argue that Jesus, described as being “begotten”, is not referring to his initial creation by God in the primordial past but just to his resurrection: being reborn from the dead. Though that is sometimes how the New Testament writers use that terminology, in order to fully understand how layered and multi-dimensional their use of Psalm 2:7 is, we have to look at other examples where it was quoted, and even by the very same writer (Paul):

• Hebrews 1:4-6 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.

This certainly is not referring to him as first-begotten at the time of his resurrection from the dead but to already have been first begotten when he was brought into this world. If the angels of God worshipping him here is a reference to them doing so at his birth in Bethlehem described in Luke 2:9-14 (or in some deeper earlier sense), then this proves Paul is using the terminology of Psalm 2:7 in multiple ways and not just to Christ’s later resurrection. All we need to do to understand why and how he is doing so is to look at yet another of his statements about Christ’s resurrection:

• Romans 1:3-4 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

Notice that Paul says that Jesus was “declared to be the Son of God with power… by the resurrection from the dead”. Jesus did not become the Son of God (and thus the begotten of God) at the resurrection; Jesus was already God’s begotten Son. The power of the resurrection just declared to all who knew of it that he must be the Son of God – the resurrection was a demonstration and declaration of his Sonship, not the beginning of it or of him being God’s first and only begotten Son. The last title alone shows that this cannot be the case, given that God through the Spirit has brought other sons to birth after the establishment of the New Covenant, and thus the titles “begotten, first-begotten, and only begotten” are better understood as references to Christ initial begetting by God in the primordial past and not his resurrectional “rebirth”. Though Paul’s unique connection to Christ’s resurrection and being begotten of God in quoting Psalm 2:7 in Acts 13:33 may be an additional layer to the meaning of that terminology, it does not change or override its meaning (and even the understanding of the language in Psalm 2:7) conveyed elsewhere. John 1:14 is one example, which refers to Jesus as the “only begotten of the Father” that “dwelt among us”, which infers that he was already “begotten” during his earthly ministry and did not only receive that designation after his resurrection. John refers to this same thing in 1 John 4:9 when he states that “God sent his only begotten Son into the world”. Any normal reading of such a statement would be understood to mean that he had been begotten before he was sent into the world. The language of what may be the most quoted Bible verse of all, John 3:16, supports this as well, stating that “God… gave his only begotten Son”, which again, seems to imply that he was already His only begotten Son before he was given (sent by God to be offered up for our sins) and not that his being begotten did not occur until his resurrection.

As for Christ being the first and only begotten of all the creation, he was the only thing begotten by God alone, since after he was begotten, he was the one responsible, at God’s direction and with His empowerment for everything else that was created – meaning that he was the only one begotten directly and solely by God as every other being begotten (celestial or terrestrial) was brought forth by the team of both Father and Son. This is why Revelation 3:14 refers to him as “the beginning of the creation of God” as well as being called the “first and the last” in Revelation 1:17, 2:8, etc.; he was the first and last thing created solely by God. He was not just begotten of God; he was the first begotten, the first being brought into existence before all other created things and who was beside God (as we will see when we look at some of the statements in Proverbs 8 and elsewhere) as God’s creative arm and agent. And the very universe and the Earth he was involved in creating was one day to be given to him as his inheritance, divinely delegated to him as its ruler by God his Father. Again, returning to Hebrews 1:

• Hebrews 1:4-6 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.

“By inheritance” is the Greek verb kleronomeo, which means “to be heir” or “to inherit”. Jesus was designated by God as His heir when He declared, “Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee” (that statement in Hebrews 1:5 is a direct quote of Psalm 2:7). Some believe that Jesus was not begotten until he was placed in the womb of Mary and that he was not truly God’s heir until that time or until he rose in the resurrection and returned to the Father, but that is not quite accurate. He was God’s heir from the moment he was begotten, just as (in a slightly different sense) Adam was God’s son and was intended to inherit before his fall. Jesus was brought into existence initially as God’s first begotten (the first thing God created) in “eternity past”^[3] (the primordial, pre-creation past), and then he was brought “into the world” by being taken from his original celestial form and put in the womb of Mary in a terrestrial (human) form. Jesus was already God’s Son and heir but just as the first man Adam, the last man Adam^[4] had to show himself worthy of his inheritance as Jesus surely did by his perfect life, death, and resurrection.

As previously noted, Jesus was the first being “begotten” by God and was the agent God used to bring all other things into existence:

• Proverbs 8:22-31 The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth: When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep: When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth: Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him; Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.^[5]

• Colossians 1:15-19 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;

“Firstborn” (also translated “first begotten elsewhere”)^[6] is the Greek word prototokos, which means “first produced” or “first brought to birth”. It comes from a combination of the Greek words protos, meaning “foremost”, “first”, or “beginning” (like the English word prototype), and tikto, meaning “to produce (or be produced) from a seed”. This word is normatively used in the Bible to refer to firstborn children. This is the word used for Jesus’ birth by Mary, referred to in Matthew 1:25 and Luke 2:7, and this is the word used for the firstborn of Egypt mentioned in Hebrews 11:28. Given the meaning of this word and its use for those who have been brought to birth (into existence) by another being, it is certain that is what it is referring to here: Jesus being brought into existence (in his original creation, as we will see), in the primordial past.

Jesus was “the firstborn of every creature”. No matter how some have attempted to twist the meaning of the Greek phrase translated “of every creature” (to try to make it say, “over every creature”, etc.), it undeniably is referring to him being the one of every creature created. He was created as the “firstborn”, and then all the creation (after him) was created “by him”. Some again attempt to argue that this is just talking about the new creation (began with the New Covenant and to culminate in the new heavens and new earth), but such an argument can only be made by decimating the obvious and grammatically proper meaning of the text. At the time of Paul’s writing of Colossians, “all things” included in the new creation to come had not yet been created. The new heavens and new earth are not here presently. The things that “were created” have already been created. The preeminence of Christ over the creation is certainly part of the meaning of this passage, but the pre-existence of Christ in this passage is as well.

• John 1:1-4 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

Jesus began in the mind of God as part of the plan of God: the divine Word within His mind. God then brought that Word into existence as a separate being that was the person who was divinely designed to be His highest and most perfect image bearer, heir, and enactor (author)^[7] of His plan, as well as the creative agent He used to make all things.

• John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

This verse alone (though there are others) proves that Jesus was the agent that God used in the primordial past to create through. Some (many Unitarians and others) believe that any reference to Jesus creating the world is only referring to the world to come (since they do not believe he existed until the womb of Mary) “created” through the establishment of the New Covenant and culminating in the new heavens and new earth. This verse clearly contradicts that, as it refers to the world that “was made by him” and that did not know him when he came to that world – obviously, this is referring to the world that was in existence when he came in his human ministry, and it was that world that he had previously been involved in creating, though he certainly is also going to be responsible (again as his Father’s agent) for the re-creation of the world, that will culminate in the new heavens and new earth.

• 1 Corinthians 8:5-6 For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

• Ephesians 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

• Hebrews 1:1-2 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

Once again, this statement is referring to a past tense making of the worlds, plural (the universe), and not to a future tense making of a new heaven and earth (which has not yet occurred).

Christ was begotten by the Father not only for the purpose of acting as His agent of the creation and redemption (re-creation) but to fill the role of God’s divinely appointed King over the creation, a role which will only be fully filled when he comes to conquer those who stand against God’s sovereign rule (as is the subject of Psalm 2).

• Isaiah 9:6-7 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

• Hebrews 1:13 But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?^[8]

• Revelation 17:14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

There are a number of psalms and other passages referring to King David’s election, anointing, and rule (as Psalm 2 may be) that are heavily Messianic in nature and though given to David, are only partially fulfilled by him and his kingship; their final and most complete fulfillment occurring in Christ, the paramount scion of his line.

• Psalm 89:19-37 Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people. I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him: With whom my hand shall be established: mine arm also shall strengthen him. The enemy shall not exact upon him; nor the son of wickedness afflict him. And I will beat down his foes before his face, and plague them that hate him. But my faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him: and in my name shall his horn be exalted. I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers. He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation. Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth. My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him. His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven. If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments; If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments; Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David. His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me. It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.

Though this passage is undeniably referring to King David, it is certain that it is also Messianic (referring to Christ Jesus) and that some of its statements can only be truly and fully accomplished in Christ’s reign as King.

• Psalm 72:1-20 A Psalm for Solomon. Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king’s son. He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment. The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness. He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor. They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations. He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth. In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth. He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust. The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him. For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper. He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy. He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight. And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba: prayer also shall be made for him continually; and daily shall he be praised. There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth. His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed. Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things. And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen. The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.

This psalm, written by David for his son Solomon, clearly describes a level of rule that is beyond anything in Israel’s history, and though some may think it is poetically hyperbolic language, I do not – I believe it is a Messianic psalm that had partial, historical fulfillment in that day but which is picturing the reign of Christ to come.

There are many other passages describing the kingship and rule of Christ that could be discussed, but let us close the commentary on this verse with four of the most powerfully encouraging of all, referring to the finality of his conquering of the kings and rulers of Psalm 2 and his complete dominion over the Earth:

• Daniel 2:34-35, 2:44-45 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. …And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.

• Daniel 7:13-14, 7:27 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. …And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.

• 1 Corinthians 15:24-28 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith, all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

• Revelation 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

^[1] Mark 1:11 and Luke 3:22.

^[2] Mark 9:7 and Luke 9:35.

^[3] This term, which we have commonly used to refer to the primordial past before the creation of the Earth and/or this universe, is one I continue to use but that should be understood in light of the fact that, technically speaking, there is no “past” in a truly linear sense (as we think of it) to a being living outside of time, in eternity.

^[4] 1 Corinthians 15:45.

^[5] Some vehemently refuse to accept that Jesus is the one being personified by “Wisdom” in this passage, despite the fact that he is directly referred to as “the wisdom of God” in 1 Corinthians 1:24 and alluded to as such elsewhere. A detailed study of the original language and context of Proverbs 8:22-31 will very clearly attest to Christ being the only possible individual who this can be referring to (a detailed study of this passage can be found in our book One God and One Lord Part 1: A Biblical Study of the Doctrine of the Godhead).

^[6] Hebrews 1:6 and Revelation 1:5.

^[7] Hebrews 5:9 and 12:2.

^[8] Hebrews 10:12, Matthew 22:44, Acts 2:34-36, etc.

In this last group of passages that use the preceding words for being “chosen” or “elect”, there are several passages that I might call “Calvinism Killers”, since they powerfully refute the assumptions of Calvinism by giving lists of things which must or must not be done after you have been chosen by God in order for you to remain in a right relationship with Him and so that you will be able to enter into eternal life – meaning that you can be chosen by God, to be one of His own (to be in a relationship with Him), but that selection does not guarantee the end result unless you fulfill the requirements of that relationship. There are also statements in some passages, as we have seen already, where God appears to choose people because they respond to His call and remain faithful to it before they are truly and fully chosen for eternal life and immortality.

ROMANS 16:13 Salute Rufus chosen [eklektos] in the Lord, and his mother and mine.

Rufus being referred to as “chosen” does not equate to him being chosen in eternity past or chosen to receive salvation no matter what decisions or choices he may make.

COLOSSIANS 3:1-17 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. Put on therefore, as the elect [eklektos] of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Though the word eklektos appears only once in this passage, the overall context tells us a great deal about what Paul means when he uses that term.

Notice that Paul gives a list of things that we need to be doing after we have been risen with Christ (in the sense that we have been made spiritually alive through the implantation of the seed of the Word of God and through the infilling of the Spirit of God):

• We have to set our affection on things above

• We have to mortify our members

Paul gives a long list of those, including a number of sinful attitudes and actions that we must forsake. In other words, we cannot continue to do those things once we have been saved from our past sins and filled with the Holy Spirit.

Though we may have once walked in such things, as Paul says, and lived in that kind of a sinful state, we are no longer to do such things, or we will bring the wrath of God back upon ourselves. We are not under some state of eternal security in which we can continue to do the wicked things listed in this chapter and be safe and secure from God’s judgment. Our past has been dealt with at our conversion, but that does not mean our present does not need to change.

Paul then goes on to list a number of things that we have to put off, including more evil attitudes and actions, that must be left behind by anyone who is a true believer. This is what he means by putting on the new man and putting off the old man. He is talking about changing your ways from your external actions to your deepest, innermost attitudes. He then goes on to list the types of things that we have to put on: the type of things we have to develop in our spirit and do in our words and deeds, and it is in that context that he refers to us as the elect.

Once again, when this term is used for people who are the chosen of God, it is in the plural, meaning this is referring to a plural group that has been chosen by God (i.e., the church as a corporate group). The group that constitutes those who are the elect/chosen of God, has to, as the chosen of God, put on these types of qualities if they are going to remain in that status. We are not chosen to remain carnal. We are chosen to change and to put on the qualities that will make us more like Jesus. If we fail to do so, we will not remain in our chosen status.

1 THESSALONIANS 1:2-5 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father; Knowing, brethren beloved, your election [ekloge] of God. For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.

The pronouns (you, your), and the word “brethren” that refer to the group that is part of this election/choosing are all in the plural, Which means this is referring to a corporate group that is elected by God: the church.

This passage tells us nothing about when this corporate group was chosen:

• Did God choose that there would be a corporate group that is the corporate church in eternity past? If he did, that doesn’t necessarily equate to him choosing all the individual constituents that make up that church in eternity past.

• Did God choose the group here at Thessalonica because of their work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope that Paul described here, and then gave them the power of the Holy Ghost to empower them to remain in that state – if they employed it to do so

In either case, this nowhere states that individual people that were part of the church at Thessalonica had been chosen by God in eternity past.

1 TIMOTHY 5:21 I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect [eklektos] angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.

This might be a more controversial passage, given the different views held among our churches on the nature of the devil and of angels. There are generally two views that we hold:

• That these elect angels are speaking about ministerial messengers

• That these elect angels are speaking about celestial angelic beings

If this refers to the former, then all it tells us is that there are chosen ministers, which doesn’t tell us that they were chosen before the foundation of the world. It just tells us that they were chosen. They may have been chosen at some point in their life to fill that role, or, for that matter, they could be chosen before their birth, as we see some were in the Bible. If they were, that doesn’t equate to them being chosen for salvation or damnation. It just means they were chosen to serve a specific purpose

If this refers to the latter, it might lead to some controversial issues, since it would seem to imply that if there are chosen angels, not all angels that have ever existed are presently part of that class. This would give support to one conception of the nature of celestial angels.

As we have seen again and again, when this type of expression is used, it refers to a group. The elect angels here are a corporate group that is elect.

2 TIMOTHY 2:10 Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s [eklektos] sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

The elect, for whom Paul was willing to endure so many trials and tribulations, are simply those who are the chosen people of God. The fact that they are called chosen does not tell us whether they were chosen from eternity past, as a Calvinist would believe, or whether God chose them in their day. Nor does it tell us that God chose them before they chose Him. It just may very well be, as seems to be the case in other passages, that God called them, and they chose to respond to that call/invitation, and to become a part of the church: the chosen by God’s choice and by their choice.

Once again, the term “elect” is plural here, meaning Paul is talking about enduring things for the sake of the corporate church. And as I also keep repeating, the fact that the corporate church is elect and chosen by God, whether from eternity past or in that day, does not equate to every individual member of that chosen group being chosen from eternity past to receive salvation in spite of themselves.

TITUS 1:1 Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect [eklektos], and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;

Again, the fact that the people of God are being referred to as his elect/chosen tells us nothing about when they were chosen, or, for that matter, how they were chosen. Whether their choosing occurred on that day, and even whether their choosing occurred as a result of his invitation and their response to it.

“Elect” here is in the plural, referring to the corporate group that is the church, and not necessarily to every individual member who constitutes it – though if this is talking about God choosing people because they’ve responded to His call, then they could potentially be called chosen in the singular. If it refers to God choosing people in some primordial period in the past for salvation or damnation, before they even responded to His call, it cannot be talking about individuals. It would have to be talking about the fact that he chose that there would be a corporate church that would be His people as a group, just as Israel was His people as a group, despite the presence of many Israelites in that group who were not faithful.

1 PETER 1:1-2 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, Elect [eklektos] according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

This is one of the few passages that we have found that may appear to convey the Calvinistic idea of election, since it sounds like it is referring to individuals who were chosen because God foreknew them, and then that He determined that they would be obedient. But there are several problems with that conclusion.

First, as we continue seeing, the term “elect” is in the plural, meaning it is referring to a group that God chose according to his foreknowledge, and not necessarily every individual that would be in that group.

Second, it doesn’t say that they’re chosen according to the foreordination of God, that he made them chosen and made them choose him. In a secondary sense, he made them choose him. It says they’re chosen because of his foreknowledge, which implies that this group was chosen because God foresaw that there would be a church. It’s certainly true that he foreordained there would be a church, but this says nothing about foreordaining. It especially says nothing about foreordaining individual people who would be members of the church to be a part of that corporate group.

Third, what God may have ordained here, due to his foreknowledge about what would be necessary to have the type of church he was seeking, is the process of sanctification of the spirit. It involves obedience, the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus, and the other elements that are part of the whole package of salvation. Thus, one element of this may simply be that God chose ahead of time that there would be a corporate church – again, not that He chose every single individual who would constitute it. And He chose ahead of time the type of process that would be necessary, the sanctification, obedience, and so on, needed for that church to produce salvation.

1 PETER 2:1-9 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen [eklektos] of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, [eklektos] precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. But ye are a chosen [eklektos] generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

Other than the reference to Jesus as the living stone who was “chosen of God”, all of the pronouns or references to those who are chosen/elect in this passage are in the plural, meaning that they are referring to the corporate group of the people of God, that is, the church, and not necessarily to every single individual who constitutes that corporate group. As I’ve reiterated a number of times, so please forgive the redundancy: the church can be predestined or chosen ahead of time by God, but that doesn’t necessarily mean every single person who’s going to be in the church has already been chosen ahead of time to be a part of that group, let alone chosen ahead of time to be guaranteed salvation.

2 PETER 1:1-11 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election [ekloge] sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

This passage is very similar to the one we examined in Colossians 3, in that it gives a list of the things that are necessary in order for us to be considered chosen and in order for us to make our calling and our election certain.

Calvinism’s conception of salvation is that there is nothing we as individuals can do to make our salvation sure and certain, since God has already (supposedly) chosen us in eternity past, and His choice of us to be saved, no matter what condition we may presently be in or what choices we may presently be making, is the guarantee that we will be saved.

But that is not at all what Peter appears to believe. Peter says God has called us to glory and virtue and has given us everything necessary, including the power needed to attain life and godliness. He does not say that God will grant us life and godliness without our involvement or without us using the power He provides to live in a godly and righteous way. In fact, he says just the opposite. He says we have to give all our diligence to add things to our faith that will bring us to the level God expects of us. By giving that diligence and diligently doing the things Peter includes in this list, we will make our calling and election sure. Only if we do these things will we never fall. He gives what is at least in part a progressive list of things that must be added to your faith, which goes in direct contradiction to the Calvinistic idea that it is faith alone, without any additives, that fully saves an individual. And Peter’s description of this addition, putting it in our purview to add these things and not that God’s going to automatically add them to us, dramatically contradicts the Calvinistic idea that there’s not only nothing we can add to our faith, but there’s nothing we’re expected to add to it.

God has given us the things that we need to live at the level he expects of us, but he is not going to make us live at that level against our will. He’s not going to do it without our involvement.

We do not believe in a do-nothing Christianity. We believe that God provides everything necessary so that we can do all that he requires of us, but that we are the ones who have to do what he requires of us.

This is why Peter begins his list of the things that need to be added to our faith by stressing that we have to give all diligence to add these things; He does not say that God will add these things to our faith. God has revealed what needs to be added to our faith, and God has empowered us to be able to add these things to our faith, but it’s our responsibility to strive with all diligence to add them. He then ends the list by saying that we must give this diligent effort to the task if our calling and our election (our choosing), is going to be sure.

Calvinists attempt to use a myriad range of mental gymnastics to escape these simple points, but Peter is making it very clear that the fact that we have been called and even chosen does not guarantee that we will be saved. The only thing that will make certain (which is what the word “sure” is referring to) that we will enter into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and our Savior Jesus Christ is if we do these things, as Peter said, and in doing so, we will never fall, which can only mean that if we don’t do these things, we may fall and very likely will fall.

Notice also that Peter is making a clear distinction between being purged from your old sins, which occurs when you exercise initial faith and respond with repentance at your conversion, and then adding to that initial faith all of these other qualities that are necessary for you to become more like Jesus. That is what our calling is, and that is what we have been chosen/elected to be: image-bearers of God by being reflections of the image of Christ. If we do not add the things to our faith that Peter lists here, our faith will not be saving faith, at least not in an eternally saving sense. Yes, our faith can purge us from our old sins, but things have to be added to your faith in order for you to be purged from the sin condition and to be ready to enter into eternal life.

2 JOHN 1, 2 JOHN 13 The elder unto the elect [eklektos] lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth; …The children of thy elect [eklektos] sister greet thee. Amen.

Though some believe these statements are addressed to an individual human woman whom John wrote this letter to, and the last reference is to her biological or spiritual sister, it is far more likely that the elect/chosen lady that he’s referring to, and her elect/chosen sister, are churches, and their children are the members of those churches. If that is the case, this just further supports the idea that what is being referred to as “elect” in passages like this is the corporate group of the church. Because he doesn’t say “all of your elect children,” he refers to the elect lady and her sister, which, if they are churches, are the corporate group and the children who are the members of that corporate group.

The fact that this woman and her sister, or as I believe, these two churches, are being referred to as elect does not tell us when they were elected or chosen. As I’ve said a number of times, it is just as likely that they were chosen as part of the process that brought them into a relationship with God. That began with him calling the people that constituted that church, those people responding to his call, and, as a result, him choosing to use them as his church.

REVELATION 17:14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen [eklektos], and faithful.

As we have found over and over again in these references to God’s people being chosen, elect, or predestined, what is being referred to with those statements is a plural group, and not necessarily every individual that makes up that group.

Notice that there are three different descriptions here: called, chosen, and faithful. They fit perfectly into the framework I’ve been describing: that God calls individuals before they are chosen. Their response to his call is what allows them to be chosen and thus to become members of his church. Once they are chosen, they have to remain faithful if they want to remain in that state and thus go on to full and complete salvation.

– Part 4

NOTE: Going through a list of passages, especially when we are looking for words in Greek, may feel cumbersome, and some may want to wade right into the point-by-point refutations of the beliefs of Calvinism right away, but there is a very important reason why I am taking this approach.

The central assertion of Calvinism, that is the critical, load-bearing assumption upon which that entire belief system rests, is the claim that every individual person was predestined by God in eternity past (in the primordial past before anyone was even created or born) to salvation and eternal life or damnation and eternal destruction/death. In other words, every single person who has ever lived or ever will live has already been preselected by God to be saved or destroyed, without any of them having any true choice in the matter, since God has (supposedly) already predetermined their final destination.

The foundation of this belief rests on the precarious assumption (and that is what it actually is) that there are passages in the Bible that refer to God predestining individual people, before they existed, and despite any choices they may or may not make of their own free will, they will inevitably end up eternally saved or eternally damned. If it can be shown that there actually are no verses in the Bible that state that God predestined people to eternal salvation or damnation (before their creation and despite their choices), then that entire belief collapses in on itself. That is why I first wanted to go through the Greek terms in the New Testament that are used for God’s ordaining, selecting, electing, or predestining people. We can determine if the New Testament even has any statements in it about God doing that with individual people, as just described. After we go through the passages in the New Testament, which will probably take another session or so, I want to talk about some of the passages in the Hebrew Old Testament. After we do that, we’ll get into the meat of the study, looking at specific arguments against Calvinism (especially as they relate to the five points of Calvinism), as well as doing deep dives into individual statements and passages in the Bible.

EKLOGE and EKLEKTOS

Part 1

These two Greek words are used together in some of the passages where they are found, so we will look at both of them in one study.

Ekloge is the noun form of the Greek verb eklegomai (which we studied in our last session). Eklektos is the adjective form of eklegomai. Both of these terms mean the same thing as eklegomai, essentially referring to being “chosen”, “elect”, “ordained”, and similar synonyms. The following are passages using these terms to refer to God’s choosing of a person or group, or of an element or process of His plan of salvation. As we have done so far, we want to consider each reference in light of the kind of ordaining. choosing or electing that it is referring to and whether it falls into one of the categories that we noted in the diagram that we included with the first part of these studies, or whether it supports the Calvinistic idea of individual predestination to salvation or damnation.

Since we already looked at all of the examples of eklektos in the Gospels in our study of eklegomai, we will start with the references to that word in the books following the Gospels.

ACTS 9:15 …he is a chosen [ekloge] vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:

This says nothing about Paul being predestined to salvation; it is a reference to him being chosen to serve God’s purpose in the office of an apostle

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We have to have experiences with God: times when we have encountered His presence and have been touched by His power (or have seen it touch others). Those are the things that give us the kind of testimony that will deepen the soil of our heart and expand the root work of our relationship with him. your testimony is the history of your interactions with God and of the experiences that you have had that let you know more about him and that have drawn your heart closer to him. God reveals Himself to you by the experiences He takes you through, as well as the times that He does things in and through you that only He could have done.

The rootwork of our spiritual relationship with the Lord must grow to the degree that our understanding of Him deepens through our knowledge of His person (reality, personality, etc.), His plans, purposes, processes, and promises (what He is doing, why He is doing it, and what we must do in response).

This network of insights (into the truths of the word of God) and experiences (with God) will build a bulwark of faith in Him and love for Him that can become an immovable and inalterable rootwork binding your relationship together with Him.

Faith and love are the two greatest roots that connect our heart to the heart of God, and that hold us tightly bound to Him no matter what tribulation, persecution, or trial may come. They are the two principal ingredients needed to grow deeper and stronger roots and for those roots to wrap so tightly around the Rock that they will never be pulled loose. True faith and genuine love conquer all. True faith is that which not only trusts in Him, but which also fully entrusts yourself to Him: your will, your desires, your path ahead in each of its twists and turns, tribulations and triumphs.

The more we come to know God, in His word, and through our experiences with Him, the more we will have faith in Him and the more we will have love for Him. Our faith must be built up, not only in terms of our belief in God, but in terms of our beliefs about God. It is not enough to believe in God (that He exists); you must believe the right things about God, or it will not be believing in the right God. And our belief in God is intended to be far more than just passively trusting Him; that is just the initial, entry-level of faith. Fully developed faith, that is the goal we must strive for, is a belief in God so powerful that you can entrust every decision of your life to Him. If you have that level of faith in Him, then you will always obey Him since you will be supremely confident that doing so is the thing that is best. Thus, if you are not fully obeying God, in every area that you are capable of doing so, you do not fully trust Him, and, as shocking as it may sound to some pseudo-Christians, you do not have fully saving faith.

The following are just a few examples of the critical ingredients of faith and love that must be present for the rootwork of your relationship with God to hold firm:

• Ephesians 3:14-21 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;^[2] And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

• Ephesians 4:14-16 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth [we must have the truth to have faith in and faithfulness to the right things] in love [which segues into the second element of love that is the binding agent needed to hold], may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

• Colossians 1:23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

• Colossians 2:6-7 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

Once we have enough soil to allow roots to grow, and those roots begin to expand in the increase of our faith and love, and to produce growth, we need to protect what they are producing from being burned up by the sun, as Jesus described occurring to what grows in stony ground:

• Matthew 13:6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

The sun scorching (burning up) of the plant that began to be produced by the seed is a picture of trials, tribulations, and persecutions burning out the work of the word of God in the life of the stony-ground believer and causing him to lose his desire to serve the Lord. This can only be prevented, and stony ground transformed into good ground, by a believer gaining greater depth of soil, as we have been discussing. Deeper depth of soil (enough of a desire for the things of God, especially the word of God) will allow a person to grow roots deep enough to hold them steady even under the scorching heat of the sun.

Another ingredient that absolutely must be present, in order for a plant to grow strong, especially when there are conditions of scorching heat surrounding it, is a source of water.

• Luke 8:6 And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.

The Greek word translated as “moisture” is hikmas. It is not the word for “water”. It is not the presence of water, such as rain, that is the problem; it is a lack of sufficient soil to retain any rain or dew that falls upon this ground. Rain and dew, in this context, refer to the water of the Spirit; in this sense, the life-giving power that enables the plant (the person) to grow spiritually taller and stronger and to eventually produce spiritual fruit.

The heat of the sun, picturing the troubles and trials of life, especially those connected to a commitment to God and His word, must be countered by a sufficient saturation point of the Spirit present in the life of the believer to protect them from being scorched by that heat and to ensure they are able to endure hardship without losing the critical rootwork of faith and love we discussed.

There are many uplifting passages in the Bible that promise God’s provision of the water of His Spirit, just a few of which follow:

• Isaiah 49:10 They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.

• Revelation 7:16-17 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

The water of the Spirit is absolutely essential, but too much water and not enough soil will wash the soil away until all that a person is receiving (and likely seeking) is more emotional experiences that are increasingly less and less of the true Spirit of God due to an addiction to the emotional elements of the work of the Spirit without a corresponding hunger for the intellectual elements of the word of God.

The word and the Spirit must operate in tandem. Even the driest and hardest ground can be broken up by the word of God and softened up by the Spirit of God:

• Isaiah 35:1-10 The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God. Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes. And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

• Isaiah 43:19-20 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen.

• Isaiah 51:3 For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.

The church is intended to be a shelter from the storm and a place where there is enough spiritual shade to protect those who come in, fleeing the heat of the sun or terrified by the great storms blowing outside its walls. The true church will be a covert and a tabernacle of protection and provision:

• Isaiah 4:5-6 And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence. And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain.

• Isaiah 32:1-4 Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment. And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. And the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken. The heart also of the rash shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly.

^[1] Ecclesiastes 12:11 and Isaiah 22:20-25 (in a practical application, not its original prophetic meaning).

^[2] This measure of the fulness of God and the love of Christ was not possible under the Old Covenant (see the parallels dimensions in Job 11:7-9).

Some (Calvinists, for example) might say that each of these categories are set and cannot be changed, but I do not believe that. I have not only known people who had hearts that were, for all intents and purposes, one of the three types of unproductive ground, who God changed and who are now good ground, that is producing a measure of fruit. I am one of them. There were times in my life when I was so hardened against God that I may well have been wayside ground. There have been times when my level of spiritual maturity and lack of convictions or commitment to go through the process, or to give up what was necessary to grow in my relationship with the Lord, may have been like stony or, as we examine later, thorny ground. Thank God that he broke up and through my wayside ground, added soil and removed the rocky places when I was like stony ground, and cleared away the choking brush when I was like thorny ground.

So, outside of God’s direct intervention to effect change, what can be done to try to reach a person who is stony ground? How can we help to add more soil and to clear the ground to the degree that the rootwork of a strong and enduring relationship with the Lord can begin to grow and expand in the heart? I say, what can we do, because most of the time, a person whose heart is like stony ground is not able to change their own condition; someone else must help them.

The rock surface below the thin layer of stony-ground soil may eventually have to be broken up, and if stony ground is referring to ground with many smaller stones in it, they will have to be cleared, though I do not think the latter is the primary meaning of Jesus’ description since the central issue seems to be the lack of depth of soil, over a hard surface, more than the presence of stones in soil that would otherwise be sufficient. Though this is stony rock, the focus seems to be more on the lack of soil depth on that surface and the resulting inability of the roots to grow.

Given this, the first prerequisite for dealing with this kind of condition is to increase the amount of available soil: to bring in more soil so the seed has a chance to put down roots and grow. That may also help the surface below to break up, because if the roots grow strong enough and reach far enough, they may end up cracking it open.

Since the depth of soil is a picture of the openness of the heart to receive and to harbor the seed of the word of God, protecting it and encouraging its growth, a person who begins as stony ground must be given strong reasons to want what the seed will produce. They have to be shown the value of the seed and why it is worth enduring whatever offenses and injuries may come, especially when some of those conditions could be avoided if they did not accept the seed. For example, persecution for your religious positions could be avoided if you never take any positions and do not accept the authority of the word of God over your life.

There is no simple template for teaching a person whose heart may presently be stony ground to desire and value the seed of the word of God; each person is unique in the drivers of their receptivity and/or resistance. Whether or not a person accepts the seed of the Word of God when you offer it to them is not entirely within your purview to control. You are not the arbiter of their acceptance, but you could be an instrument that could instigate it.

To give a stony-ground heart the best chance to change, we have to be able to give them a good reason to want to change. We have to show and tell them why they should want the word of God implanted in their heart and creating a rootwork of relationship with Him, not only by sharing the Gospel with them, but by our own life’s example of its changing power, as should be tangible in our attitude and actions, our character and conduct. If we are poor testimonies of its transforming potency, then we should not be surprised if we do not reach many for Christ or if those we reach do not grow stronger in their relationship with him. The testimony of our lives, not just in terms of our experiential testimony that we might share with them, but in terms of the kind of life we are living and the spirit we are living it in, is the most powerful witness we can exhibit that might instigate others to come to Christ. It is not the Gospel, in its paradigm-shifting message alone, that breaks up wayside ground or deepens the soil of stony ground; it is the game-changing and life-altering force of its salvational process being put into practice in the life of its adherents.

People who are sin-hardened, stiff-necked, and seed-resistant must be shown not only where their present choices will lead, eternally; they must know why the path of peace and the way of righteousness is preferrable to the the path of pleasure that leads to destruction:

• Proverbs 7:24-27 Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth. Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths. For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her. Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.

We must show them, and convince them to seek, the better way:

• Proverbs 3:17-18 [The ways of wisdom] are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.

Imagine you were given a priceless seed of the tree of life, that properly planted and tended, could grow a tree of life and give you access to eternal life, and you were told that it needs a great deal of soil in which to germinate and grow, or it will die. If the soil needed was every inch of land you owned, would you give it up to make room for that tree to grow? Surely you would.

The word of God is the seed of the tree of life that, when combined with the Spirit of God and the proper additive ingredients, will eventually produce a tree of life.

• Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.

When we are sharing the Gospel with others, we are planting the seed of the tree of life in their heart; the very thing that, if guarded and tended, will lead to them receiving eternal life and immortality. That is what we are offering them. That is what we are asking them to give up all of the ground of their heart to receive and to make room for. We are offering them the very seed of eternal life and immortality. That is what we must convey to them in order to inspire them to not only buy in, but to go all in: to fully sell out in order to gain all God has promised to them. It will take all of your heart to give the seed of the tree of life enough room to put down strong and deep enough roots to come to full growth. It is when your whole heart belongs to God that you will finally come to know Him as He intends to be known and to receive all that He has set in store for you.

• Jeremiah 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

Our paramount purpose must be to recognize the value of what we have and to help others who have not accepted it to come to know how priceless it is. You have to know what you have (or are being offered), and why it is worth giving everything for it. The reason that someone could reject God, or, for that matter, leave a church where God is truly working, is because they do not really know what they are walking away from. They do not know where they are and/or what is being offered to them, and why it is more valuable than other opportunities. Truly knowing the what (what something is that is worth the sacrifice) will usually create the why (the reason for giving all for it). The more I know not just what I believe, but why I believe it, the more conviction I will have. The more I know why I must stand and not fall, and keep fighting no matter the cost or potential pain and suffering, the more courage I will have to do so. The more I know why I must hold my integrity and live like my Lord, the more I will strive with all my strength to do so without faltering.

Someone whose heart is shallow spiritual soil, and as a result is not deeply rooted does not have a strong enough why to enable and empower them to endure the tribulation, persecution, and temptation Jesus warned of. They do not know the answer the questions:

• Why should I give more?

• Why should I sacrifice and potentially even suffer for this?

• Why would I choose a more difficult path than an easier one?

• Why would I choose to stand for something that will cost me something?

Those who are shallow soil and weakly rooted (if not rootless) are not willing to sacrifice the path of pleasure to suffer tribulation in the path of righteousness. They are not willing to be the object of persecution when compromise will make them the object of praise. They are not able to endure the temptations to turn from a harder path to an easier path; from a narrower way to a broader way; and would rather satisfy self than to have to choose self-sacrifice. They are not able to see far enough forward (or do not want to) in order to recognize that the present price is worth the future prize; what we are striving for, which will take great sacrifice and self-endurance (through tribulation and persecution), is worth any cost.

We add more soil by getting:

• More of the truth

• More of the Spirit and spiritual worship

• More experiences with God

• More relationship-building interactions with Him AND with His people

The more of these ingredients we get, the more we will realize the value of what they provide, and the more unwilling we will be to trade them for something of lesser value: whether a different path (way of belief and practice) or place (church) that has less of those things, or a lower level of consecration and commitment than your calling calls for.

We must have that driver within created by the knowledge of why our calling and our future hope is worth any present cost. Put simply, there must be a desire within for more of God and of His word in order for there to be a consequent choice to give Him more of your heart and to clear out those things which limit the growth of your relationship with Him. That is what will start the delivery of more soil that will give the seed of His word room to take root and to enhance and expand your relationship with Him.

Without the rootwork of that relationship, allowed to expand in ever-deepening soil (giving more room in your heart to it), you will never truly come to know God, and you will never give enough of your heart to Him to make the room necessary for Him to give all that He wants to give to you.

You must have a burning desire, a hunger and thirst for God^[1] and for His righteousness,^[2] that fuels your forward momentum. You must know where you are going and why the path you are on is the only way to get there if you intend to hold on that path no matter the price. We have to count the cost, so we can commit to paying the cost. This is what Jesus was alluding to in his statements in Luke 14:

• Luke 14:25-35 And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

We must know who and what we are committing ourselves to and what we are willing to pay to remain in that relationship. A stony-ground believer, who does not have “root[work] in himself” does not have a vision, or at least not one compelling enough to commit every part of himself to. Getting a vision is a foundational building block of our relationship with the Lord. We do so as a result of receiving a revelation and having experiential interactions with God.

^[1] Psalm 42:1-2, 63:1-2, 84:1-2, etc.

^[2] Matthew 5:6.

• Matthew 5:29-30 And if thy right eye offend [skandalizo] thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend [skandalizo] thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

The eyes and the hand here are not intended to be taken literally; they are not to be physically removed if they are causing you to stumble. In this type of figurative use of those body parts, they are symbolic stand-ins for your attention (what you are looking at: what your heart and mind are focused on) and actions (what you are doing). What has caught your attention? What is your mind mesmerized by that might be drawing you toward the wrong thoughts, feelings, or actions? If the eyes of your mind, or your literal eyes, for that matter, are fixated on something that is detrimental, if not destructive, to your spiritual health and well-being, that must be addressed and corrected. The things you are looking at, literally or inwardly (mentally), can cause you to develop the wrong kinds of beliefs and feelings, and can, and will ultimately lead to attitudes and actions that will corrupt your relationship with the Lord. If your hands are, figuratively or literally, busy carrying out sinful deeds, you must do whatever is necessary to take control of them (taking control of your actions). In doing so you will be “bringing into captivity every thought [and action] to the obedience of Christ”.^[1]

• Matthew 11:6 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended [skandalizo] in me.

• Matthew 13:53-58 And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence. And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? And they were offended [skandalizo] in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house. And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

This is what occurred after Jesus gave all of the parables of the Kingdom that we are studying in Matthew 13. The great weight of his words and the depth of his insight were not sufficient to override the prejudicial perception of those in his home country who could not comprehend how a common man, from among them, could be carrying the kind of office and authority that others, who saw him with unfiltered faith, attributed to him. The Greek word ekplesso, translated as “astonished,” means to be “struck with amazement or astonishment.” It was hard for them to comprehend how the young man that they had seen grow up among them could be bearing the anointing and insights that he was. Rather than credit it to God and honor him for that calling, they instead were scandalized at the thought of him holding such a place and chose to criticize and demean him.

• Matthew 18:3-7 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend [skandalizo] one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe unto the world because of offences [skandalon]! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence [skandalon] cometh!

Natural and spiritual children (by the latter, I am referring to babes in Christ: newer believers) are both easily hurt and more liable to be injured if pushed hard or knocked down. We have to be careful in how we handle those who are young, giving them more space to grow and learn from their mistakes, without severe chastisement for correctable conditions. Some may be stony-ground believers, who will be offended as a result of their own internal responses, that we have no part in instigating, but God forbid that we would cause someone to become stony in spirit because of our treatment of them; woe unto those by whom offenses come: those who are the perpetrators of offensive behavior, especially toward the children of God.

• Matthew 24:9-10 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended [skandalizo], and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

These are precisely the types of things Jesus warned would be a concern for those who were stony-ground believers. The pressures and persecution applied to the Christian church have caused and will cause many to be offended and, as a result, to betray one another and hate one another. Some of the greatest betrayals and animosity have come from those within the church who were hurt by others within the church (whether leaders or the laity) and who lashed out against the church in response. Sometimes this may be justified if the church has a systemic issue that has to be corrected. On the other hand, there will always be people in the church at all levels who might potentially hurt one another. If it is not due to a systemic condition of corrupt order or ungodly operations, but simply to an individual human condition (carnal human beings mistreating others), we must not throw the baby out with the bathwater by rejecting and attacking the church for the actions of some of its less mature or ungodly members. Until the Lord returns and the wheat is truly separated from the tares, we will always have immature and un-Christlike people in every church or group of churches.

That said, there is an important distinction between those who have truly been wrongly injured by a church (as a whole or due to systemically abusive behaviors) or by a leader of the church, where correction of that church or leader is necessary, and those who, like stony ground, are not willing to endure hardship and hold on to their faith, or worse yet, who have become genuine apostates by making themselves enemies of God and of His people. Many in the first category have been spoken of and treated as if they are in the last category (which should not be the case), and yes, at times, some in the latter categories have claimed to be in the former to excuse their carnality and apostasy.

• Matthew 26:31-35 Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended [skandalizo] because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended [skandalizo] because of thee, yet will I never be offended [skandalizo]. Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.

The next passage (in book order in the New Testament) begins with Jesus responding to the shock caused by his statements about eating his flesh and drinking his blood in John 6:32-59.

• John 6:60-69 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend [skandalizo] you? What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.

Jesus’ statement, “Do this offend you?” is a very good example of how knowing the proper meaning of this word will be very helpful. Given its root connection to the idea of a snare or what you might even think of as a trip wire or stumbling block, what he is essentially saying is: “Are you tripped up or stumbling over what I said about eating my flesh and drinking my blood?” Those statements certainly tripped up quite a few people, causing them to stumble and fall out of the group of disciples and others who had been following Jesus up to this point.

Some additional passages using these words follow:

• John 16:1-4 These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended [skandalizo]. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me. But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them….

This is part of a much longer discourse of Jesus (beginning in the chapters preceding this) on the conditions (and the comforter) that would come upon the disciples and the church after he returned to the Father. The central part of this consisted of warnings about the difficulties and distresses that would come, intended as a pre-emptive preparation for them to ready their hearts to hold on, no matter what pressure or persecution might come against them.

• Romans 9:31-33 But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence [skandalon]: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

As we saw in other passages, the doctrine of Christ was certainly a stumbling stone for many Jews, but Christ himself was the greatest scandal to them: a Messiah that did not meet their expectations, not only in what he taught and did during his ministry, but in the very purpose of his first coming: to suffer and die rather than to (at least, naturally) conquer and rule. This is part of what the next passage is addressing.

This language is used of Christ in several other passages:

• 1 Corinthians 1:23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock [skandalon], and unto the Greeks foolishness;

• 1 Peter 2:8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence [skandalon], even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

• Romans 11:9 And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock [skandalon], and a recompence unto them:

The Jews were snared and trapped in their limited and, in some cases, corrupted conception of the Old Covenant sacrificial system. They were like many Torah-observant believers today who are unable to see past the ceremonial and cultural laws of the Old Covenant to their fulfillment in Christ and their transition into a greater and fuller expression of God’s will in the New Covenant. Many of the Jews of Jesus’ day could not see that he would fulfill the sacrifices offered on that natural table with a greater sacrifice (of himself) and spiritual sacrifices (that we must offer up) under the New Covenant.

• Romans 14:13, 14:21 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall [skandalon] in his brother’s way. …It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended [skandalizo], or is made weak.

The overall context of this passage is the keeping (or not keeping) of certain dietary standards that might be offensive to others. We have to consider what we require or do not require in light of how it might impact other children of God. We never want to do (or forsake doing) something that might affect others in a way that could undermine their faith. This has connections with the following passage:

• 1 Corinthians 8:13 Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend [skandalizo], I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.

• Romans 16:17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences [skandalon] contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

This doctrine (literally, “teaching”) was the biblical teaching of the truth that some had erred from in creating their own beliefs and practices that caused division and stumbling blocks/snares for others. When we promote or perpetuate teachings or requirements that are not biblical in origin or inspiration, we will inevitably produce stumbling blocks, and even barriers between ourselves and others who are holding to biblical faith and practice and to biblical standards of salvation.

• 1 John 2:10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling [skandalon] in him.

If we love our brother, we will live the kind of life before him, and in our relationship with him, that will not cause him to stumble.

• Revelation 2:14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock [skandalon] before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.

Balaam’s spiritual seduction of the children of Israel caused them to stumble into sin and to be snared by things that did untold damage to their relationship with God.

Many, if not most, of the preceding passages and points address the root problem of the whole issue of stony ground: not having enough depth of soil to allow for the growth of sufficient rootwork to hold you in place during troublous times and to allow for the level of moisture (of the Spirit) to aid in instigating greater strength and development.

^[1] 2 Corinthians 10:5.

So, the challenge of stony ground stems from the combination of its rocky condition and limited amount of soil, which prevents the seed from taking root and having room to grow. Spiritually, this translates to a person who lacks the motivation and dedication to hold on to the word of God and to submit to its requirements for their life, or to endure under the negative conditions that may come from being identified with the faith it espouses, when under the pressures of tribulation, persecution, or other trials.

Such a person is eventually “offended” by the word of God:

• Matthew 13:21 …when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

“Offended” is the Greek word skandalizo. It comes from the word skandalon, which refers to a “snare”. It originally referred to a trap-stick or trigger in a snare. When touched, the trap would spring shut. By extension, it is something that causes a person to stumble or to be (or feel) trapped. The Complete Word Study Dictionary defines skandalizo as meaning “a trap, stumbling block. To cause to stumble and fall, not found in Greek writers [outside the Bible]. In the New Testament, figuratively, to be a stumbling block to someone, to cause to stumble at or in something, to give a cause of offense to someone. …Generally, to offend, vex, particularly to scandalize, [or] to be offended by someone, to take offense at his character, words, conduct, so as to reject him… to cause to offend, lead astray, lead into sin, be a stumbling block or the occasion of one’s sinning.”^[1]

Skandalizo and skandalon are the words from which our English word “scandal” is derived. In our modern use of that expression, this might describe the scandal of being a true Christian and living a holy life in the midst of a wicked and perverse generation. Morris expands on how this term can be used for a shallow believer, explaining that “He takes offense. That is to say, he comes to regard adherence to Christ as something of a trap; if it means persecution, he wants nothing to do with it.”^[2]

MacArthur notes that “The affliction and persecution Jesus is talking about does not have to do with the ordinary hardships and troubles of life but specifically with problems that result because of the word. When the cost of discipleship becomes too high, this person falls away.”^[3]

Many people gladly receive God’s promises but become offended when following Christ becomes costly. They may think:

• “Why is God allowing this?”

• “I thought serving the Lord would make life easier.”

• “This isn’t what I expected.”

The offense is not merely against circumstances; it is an offense against God’s method of working. The stony-ground believer loves the perquisites and promises of the Gospel, but when he realizes he has to pay a personal price and endure hardship and persecution to possess them, he rejects and falls away from his relationship with the Lord.

A stony-ground believer does not have enough strength of character, conviction, and courage to stand through the trials and tests of his faith and faithfulness, especially when God’s word and will are in competition with his own selfish desires.

D.S. O’Donnell asks, “Have you ever known someone who has fallen away from the faith? I would imagine most of us have. And why in America, where there is so little persecution, is this true? Right now… Christians in Sudan, China, and Iran are meeting secretly in homes, hotel rooms, and backrooms of businesses, and other Christians throughout the world are being beaten, tortured, and killed because they will not renounce Jesus Christ. As Blomberg notes, ‘In the twentieth century there were more martyrs for the Christian faith worldwide than in all nineteen previous centuries of church history combined.’ So why in America, where there is so little persecution, do so many people fall away from the faith? Part of the reason comes with the next bad surface—the love of this world (and especially the love of money). However, another part of the blame must be laid on those sloppy, sappy sowers—Christian evangelists who preach a half-seeded gospel, evangelists who never tell their disciples what Jesus repeatedly has been telling us in Matthew—that if you follow him, suffering will follow you. Today’s evangelist says, ‘I need a thousand raised hands as a sign of success and God’s blessing [or so many people filled with the HS or shouting at the altars],’ but Jesus says, ‘Just give me twelve men who are willing to suffer and endure until the end, and I’ll change the world.’ Perseverance through persecutions and triumphing through trials is what is necessary, through the power of God’s might. Endurance is part of the basics of Christianity: ‘But the one who endures to the end will be saved’ (Matthew 10:22; 24:13).”^[4]

Matthew Poole adds that “Our Saviour here assigneth two causes of such hearers falling away, the one internal, the other external; the former is the great cause of the latter. By root in himself some understand constancy, or a serious resolution and purpose of heart; …But dureth for a while; no longer than he thinks that he can by his profession attain the end he aimed at and propounded to himself, be it riches, or honour and reputation. But when tribulation or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, or because of the word, when he seeth that he cannot own his profession without the danger of his estate, life, liberty, places, and preferments, &c., by and by he is offended, made to stumble and fall, he falls off from all his former profession of the gospel.”^[5]

It has been said that “trials do not create weak faith; they reveal it.” The shallow depth of faith and rootless relationship of the stony ground believer is revealed by pressure and resistance. A tree with deep roots withstands storms. Likewise, a believer deeply rooted in Christ remains steadfast when troubles arise and the trial of his faith occurs.

Offense is often the first step toward falling away. Offense is so deceptively dangerous because it progressively (if not immediately) creates distance:

• Hurt becomes disappointment.

• Disappointment becomes resentment.

• Resentment becomes unbelief/lack of faith

• Unbelief leads to a disillusionment with God and a rejection of belief and/or trust in Him

• Rejection of belief and trust end any true relationship with Him

How to avoid being spiritually “scandalized”:

• Expect opposition for believing in and following Jesus.

• Build your spiritual life on the Scripture, not emotions alone.

• Trust in God’s nature (His righteousness, holiness, mercy, grace, etc.) and His knowledge and foreknowledge when His ways are difficult to understand.

• Address and deal with your disappointments rather than allowing them to become roots of bitterness.

• Never forget that trials and tests, suffering and persecution are often opportunities for your roots to grow deeper: for your faith and proven faithfulness to be firmly established.

^[1] Zodhiates, S. (2000). In The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (electronic ed.). AMG Publishers.

^[2] Morris, L. (1992). The Gospel according to Matthew (pp. 346–347). W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press.

^[3] MacArthur, J. (1985–1989). Matthew (Vol. 2, p. 359). Moody Publishers.

^[4] O’Donnell, D. S. (2013). Matthew: All Authority in Heaven and on Earth (R. K. Hughes, Ed.; pp. 367–368). Crossway.

^[5] Poole, M. (1853). Annotations upon the Holy Bible (Vol. 3, p. 62). Robert Carter and Brothers.

I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me,

Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.

As noted in the initial comments on Psalm 2, there are several different speakers in this psalm. The words of Psalm 2:6 are those of God the Father. Psalm 2:7-9 and perhaps through to the end of the psalm (if the last verses, Psalm 2:10-12, are not God or the psalmist speaking) are the words of Jesus, quoting what God the Father had said to him – or also, in a more limited and historical sense, the words of David, though still prophetic of Christ.

Jesus is here testifying to the divine decree of his Father, recognizing him as His (first) begotten Son. The phrase, “this day have I begotten thee”, is not referring to the day the psalm was inspired to be written but to the day when God had brought Jesus forth to be His first begotten Son in the primordial past. He (God) then follows this by declaring in the next verses that He will give the Son the authority and power to rule and reign over the Earth. There is a gap of thousands of years between the bringing forth of Christ as God’s Son, the initial declaration of Psalm 2:7, and the day when Christ will receive his inheritance of kingship over the Earth (in the future Millennial Reign) described in Psalm 2:8-9.

God’s divinely decreed and (first) begotten Son

Christ was begotten as God’s Son in a specialized sense of that word that is distinct from all other sons of God, celestial or terrestrial. This is bolstered by the references to him as the “only begotten”, which can be understood in several ways. He was the first in terms of the original creation; he was the first in terms of the new creation (the spiritual re-creation he authored in his establishment of the New Covenant and that will be completed in the work of the future Millennial and creation of the new heaven and new earth), and he is first in preeminence over the creation.

There are several faulty conceptions of what it means that Jesus was “begotten”. The parallel title “only begotten” used in the New Testament is the Greek monogenes, which essentially means “only one born” or “only one brought into being”. It is translated “only begotten,” “only child”, etc. in Luke 7:12, 8:42, 9:38, John 1:14, 1:18, 3:16, 3:18, Hebrews 11:17, and 1 John 4:9 clearly carrying the meaning “one who has been brought into existence by another”. This is further supported by the fact that the Greek word gennao, from which it comes, means to “beget”, “conceive”, “bear a child”, or “bring to birth”. The question we have to ask and answer regarding this type of language being applied to Christ is when and how he was “begotten” and if there are several events to which this language could be referring.

THREE FAULTY VIEWS OF CHRIST’S BEING BEGOTTEN BY GOD

It is a biblically undeniable fact (though some still think otherwise) that Jesus existed prior to his conception in the womb of Mary. The only way to argue otherwise is to bend and warp the meaning of many biblical statements (primarily his own, by the way) entirely out of their most clear and obvious meaning. We will examine some of the following passages and points later, but it is worth giving a synopsis of them. John 1 refers to his pre-existence with God his Father multiple times, including that he was with God in the beginning (which can only mean the beginning of Genesis 1). Nothing made (in the creation) was made without his involvement (John 1:1-4), and the world he came to (at his human birth) that “knew him not” had been made (past tense) by him (John 1:10) – the only world that could have been made by him when he was born of Mary would have been the present creation since no new creation existed at that time that could have been referred to as being made by him but not recognizing him, which by itself is insensible given that those who are part of the new creation would not be part of it if they did not recognize their Redeemer, which is yet another proof that it was the original creation that he had made that did not recognize the one who, at God’s direction and with His empowerment, had created it. In John 1:15 and 1:30, John the Baptist refers to him having been before him, not only stating that he was “preferred before me” (in preeminence) but that he was “before me” (in existence). John 3:13, 6:33, 6:38, and 6:51 say that he came down from heaven, and John 6:62 refers to his return to heaven as going back to where he was before (as does a number of other passages).^[1] John 17:5 refers to a glory that he had with God (not just in God’s future intent but possessed when he was with Him) “before the world was”. 1 Corinthians 10:1-4 refers to him as having been with Israel in the wilderness, which certainly could not be the case if he had not pre-existed his human birth. Daniel 3:25 refers to one who is “like the Son of God” who was in the fire with Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah – surely this was Jesus, especially given that this exact title, used in this way as a singular proper title “Son of God” is not only the title used for him in the New Testament but it is never used in this exact way anywhere else in the Old Testament. And there are many other passages that prove his pre-existence with God, showing that he had already been “begotten” by God at some point in the primordial past. Was he “begotten” again in the womb of Mary when he was changed from a celestial to a terrestrial form? – I would not argue otherwise, but that does not preclude the simple fact that he had existed before that change of being that brought him into a human existence. Was he “begotten” by his resurrection from the dead? – as we will see, it appears that Paul connects that language in Psalm 2:7 to the resurrection of Christ though even a cursory study of that terminology (“begotten”) related to Christ will show that it is used by the biblical writers in several ways and cannot be forced into a single application related to that single event.

It takes a massive amount of reinvention of the most obvious and biblically consistent meaning of such statements to attempt to argue that Jesus was not claiming that he had existed with God prior to his human birth and had come to this earth from heaven. In contradiction to the claims made by some that he was just being sent from God like any human prophet was sent (and supposedly that is why he uses such expressions), human prophets may be referred to in the Bible as being sent by God, but they are not referred to as having been with God in heaven or sent from heaven to earth – which is what Jesus said of himself.

The simple and biblical fact is that Jesus was “begotten” in the primordial past (“eternity past”) by God his Father (the one who had “begotten” him, as that is who a father is after all – one who has brought a son into existence) and was with God and working alongside God in the original creation. At the time of his coming to the earth in human form, he was “begotten” in the womb of Mary, and after his death, he was resurrected by being “begotten” again from a state of non-life to a state of life and became the first of the new creation; the firstfruits from the dead.^[2] If we fully study the use of the term “begotten” as related to Christ, we will find that he is God’s “begotten Son” in a multi-dimensional, layered sense that cannot be pigeonholed into one single meaning throughout the Scripture. That descriptive title must be understood in multiple contexts and even (and I believe this may be the case in Psalm 2:7) in a multi-layered sense.

^[1] Despite the fact that some (some Unitarians for example) attempt to argue that these kinds of statements can be used of an only human prophet sent by God (because they do not want to accept the celestial pre-existence of Christ with God before his being placed in the womb of Mary), such arguments are, biblically at least, impossible to make. Human prophets in the Bible are never referred to (let alone refer to themselves) as having been with God in heaven before they were sent to humankind with their prophecies. They are never referred to as coming down from heaven or, after giving their prophecies, as going back to be with God.

^[2] 1 Corinthians 15:20, 15:23, etc.

NEW TESTAMENT PASSAGES THAT REFER TO PREDESTINATION AND WHAT KIND OF PREDESTINATION THEY ARE ACTUALLY ADDRESSING

– Part 3

Following are ALL of the remaining occurrences of the Greek word eklegomai (“chosen”, etc.), found in the New Testament, with the arguments for why NONE of them refer to an individual person being chosen / elected to receive irrevocable and eternal salvation (or damnation and destruction, for that matter):

ACTS 1:2 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen [eklegomai]:

• This is not referring to the apostles being predestined to irrevocable and eternal salvation; it refers to them being chosen to serve as apostles: predestined to serve a purpose / in a position

ACTS 1:24 And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen [eklegomai],

• This is not referring to these men being predestined to irrevocable and eternal salvation; it refers to one of them being chosen to serve as an apostle: predestined to serve a purpose / in a position
  

  

  
  

ACTS 6:5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose [eklegomai] Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:

• This is not referring to these men being predestined to irrevocable and eternal salvation; it refers to them being chosen to serve as ministers (deacons): predestined to serve a purpose / in a position
  
  
  

ACTS 13:17 The God of this people of Israel chose [eklegomai] our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an high arm brought he them out of it.

• This is not referring to God predestining all of their fathers to irrevocable and eternal salvation; it refers to their fathers being chosen and exalted by God in the day they lived in, and in the events of the Exodus
  
  
  

ACTS 15:7 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice [eklegomai] among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.

• Peter is not claiming that he was predestined to irrevocable and eternal salvation; he is referring to the fact that God had chosen him to serve the purpose of first preaching the gospel to the Gentiles

ACTS 15:22, 15:25 Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen [eklegomai] men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren: …It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen [eklegomai] men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

• This is not referring to these men being predestined to irrevocable and eternal salvation; it refers to them being chosen to serve as ministers: predestined to serve a purpose / in a position
  

  
  

1 CORINTHIANS 1:27-28 But God hath chosen [eklegomai] the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen [eklegomai] the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen [eklegomai], yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

• This is not referring to the individuals being predestined to irrevocable and eternal salvation; it is describing God’s choosing of people for a purpose: choosing weak and foolish things (by the world’s estimation) to confound wise and mighty things (by the world’s estimation)

The next verse in the book order of the New Testament, Ephesians 1:4, is the only passage among these examples that might appear to support the Calvinistic idea of predestined individual salvation (though we will show why it does not). Since I am going to be spending quite a bit of time on that passage, let me jump ahead to the last verse in the New Testament that uses eklegomai first, and then we will come back to Ephesians 4.

JAMES 2:5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen [eklegomai] the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

• Once again, the words “poor” and “heirs” are both plural, so this is referring to a group that has been chosen, not to particular, separate individuals

• There are several problems with the Calvinist interpretation of this verse

• The object of the choosing is a socioeconomic class: “the poor of this world.” If this is a decree of irrevocable and eternal salvation, then every poor person must be elect and all the rich must be reprobate by income bracket. No Calvinist that I know of holds that view, which means that Calvinists already read “the poor” as categorical and representative rather than individually distributive – which concedes the point at issue. Once you grant that the verb can take a corporate/characteristic object without fixing the eternal destiny of each member, you’ve granted the non-Calvinist reading of the verb elsewhere

  • Added to this is the fact that in 1 Corinthians 1:26-28, Paul uses this same verb three times and prefaces it with “not many wise, not many mighty, not many noble.” Not none — not many. Paul is describing God’s characteristic pattern of subverting worldly status, and he says so with a quantifier that rules out reading the categories as fixed rosters

• As is the case throughout the New Testament, there are qualifiers in this statement regarding those who will end up being the heirs of the kingdom or receiving the promises of God

  • God has promised these things to “them that love Him”, just as it is promised in Romans 8:28 that “…all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose”, and earlier in the same book, in James 1:12, it states that “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”

  • And, in James 1:12, the receipt of these promises is connected to perseverance and endurance under pressure. James is not using “those who love him” as a descriptor of a predetermined group of individuals; in his own usage, it identifies people by what they do under pressure, not by preselection

  • It is not God’s calling alone that deterministically guarantees that we will be heirs of the kingdom, that all things will work together for good for us, and that we will receive the crown of life; it is whether or not we respond to God’s call and choose to love Him, keeping that love alive and protecting it against theft or loss

  • Unfortunately for Calvinists, there is no choosing to love God, at least not in any true sense of the meaning of that word, because in their twisted conception of God’s relationship with them, He makes them (effectively, forces them to) choose to love Him

EPHESIANS 1:4 According as he hath chosen [eklegomai] us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

• This is one of the only examples of this word that is even in a statement that could be referring to the salvation of the people being chosen, but there are several major problems with this being interpreted as referring to individual salvation that is irrevocable and eternal (as Calvinism teaches) – I will give the main points, but we will be coming back to this verse and the whole passage where it is found in a later part of these studies

• As I have been pointing out in many passages that speak about foreordination and salvation, the “chosen” here is a plural group, not separate people who have each individually been pre-selected to be a part of that group. If this refers to salvation, as many believe it does, then it refers to a group being predetermined, not to every single individual in the group; thus, this “election” would be corporate rather than individual

  • As an example of this, Israel was chosen before any individual Israelite existed (Deuteronomy 7:6-8, etc.), yet individuals within that chosen/elect nation could be cut off, and outsiders like Ruth could be grafted in. The predestined choice of the group was certain, but membership in it was not fixed at the individual level. Paul is simply extending this category (or referring to Israel, rather than the church, as some believe), which makes sense of why “us” is plural and never distributed to named individuals in the text – this leads to the next point…

• This passage may be contrasting Israel as a corporate national group with the Gentiles, as a corporate group; if so, the whole point of this passage, and the first part of Ephesians, for that matter, is the inclusion of the Gentiles as a group, not the irrevocable eternal salvation of specific Jewish or Gentile individuals

  • Notice that up to the Ephesians 1:12, Paul principally refers to “us” and “we” and then shifts in 1:13 to refer to “ye” and “your”, which may mean that he is talking first about the group of Jews who first accepted Christ (1:12), and then shifts to speaking to the Gentiles in Ephesus and refers to the corporate group of Gentiles who are now part of the church

  • This then sets up the whole of Ephesians 2, where he speaks about the middle wall of partition being broken down, the two being made one, and Gentiles no longer being strangers and outside of the covenant

• Some non-Calvinists argue that the phrase “in him” (referring to being “in Christ”) is the key to the verse; Paul says that God chose us in Christ, not that He chose certain individuals to be placed in Christ. If Christ is the chosen one and we are “in” the chosen one, then this says nothing about us being chosen to be in him; rather, it may be saying that God predetermined that all who are “in Christ” (and remain in him) will receive full salvation

  • Let me expand on this point for our deeper and more technically inclined Bible scholars:

  • I believe that the phrase “in him” is locative, not instrumental.

  • Paul says God “chose us in him [ἐν αὐτῷ] before the foundation of the world.” Calvinists generally interpret this as something like “chose us by means of Christ” or “chose us with a view to Christ’s work”; they hold that Christ is the instrument through which a prior, unconditional selection of individuals gets executed

  • The problem with that view is that Paul uses ἐν Χριστῷ roughly eleven times in Ephesians 1:3-14 alone, and everywhere else it’s incorporative and locative, meaning that it is talking about a sphere of union with Christ: the place where salvation is found. Paul refers to being blessed in Christ, redemption being in him, being sealed in him, and our inheritance being in him. If the phrase means union in every other occurrence in the paragraph, reading 1:4 as instrumental is special pleading (a logical fallacy in which someone applies a rule, standard, or principle to others but then makes an unjustified exception for their own position): it goes against the use of this same type of language throughout this passage

  • Instead, if we understand that Christ is the Chosen One (Isaiah 42:1; Luke 9:35; 1 Peter 2:4-6), then the church is elect in a corporate sense by being in him, and individuals become part of that group by being in the Elect One: the Chosen One

• The purpose clauses in this verse, and the overall passage around it, describe destiny, not selection: the end goal rather than the initial choosing

  • What is being predestined: individuals or the end goal?

  • Ephesians 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

  • Ephesians 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

  • In each case, predestination has a terminus – what the elect are headed toward

  • In other words, this could mean that God has predestined the goal of holiness and blamelessness (that He intended to have a holy and blameless people) and that He would spiritually adopt children (that He intended to adopt children) – not that He predestined the individuals who would be holy or who would be adopted, but that He predestined the end goal of holiness, purity, and adoption

  • The idea being that Paul is talking about “what” is predestined, in this case, rather than “who”

  • Paul is addressing these statements to Christians, not explaining how “the elect” who were unbelievers became believers because they were the “elect”, but what God’s plan and purpose was for those who are already “in Christ.”

• Finally, there is a unique structure to the language of this whole passage: Ephesians 1:3-14 is one long sentence in Greek

  • This is what is called a berakah, a doxological/ritualistic type of blessing formula, like a poetic, ritual type of statement about the faith

  • Some have theorized that this may be an example of the language of worship looking backward in gratitude, and that extracting a mechanism of individual selection from a benediction is a category mistake (when someone treats something as if it belongs to one category of things when it actually belongs to a different category)

Any one, or several of the preceding claims, could be true about this passage, and it only takes one of them to be true to obviate the Calvinistic interpretation.

I didn’t realize we hadn't posted the diagram showing the six types of predestination found in the Bible, which was intended to be used alongside the last couple of parts of the study (and a few more to come).

The diagram below is intended to be used as a template for determining which type of predestination is being referred to when considering passages in the Bible that refer to someone or something being predestined, which we will be examining in the next few parts of this study

The passages that we have been examining (and will examine) on examples of predestination/foreordination, election/choice in the New Testament, are those used by Calvinists to argue for their belief that individuals are predestined to salvation or damnation. In each of those passages, we will be asking, “Do the references to being predestined refer to individual people being predestinated to salvation or damnation OR, instead, are they referring to one of the types of predestination found in the diagram above?

FOUR HORNS AND FOUR CARPENTERS

The prophet Zechariah records a striking vision in which he sees four horns followed by four carpenters. At first glance, the imagery seems mysterious, yet the vision delivers a powerful message about God’s response to forces that scatter, oppress, and corrupt His people, and the hope of His redemption of His people through agents of restoration.

• Zechariah 1:18-21 Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns. And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What be these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem. And the LORD shewed me four carpenters. Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it.

The vision introduces two opposing forces: the horns, which represent powers that scatter and subdue, and the carpenters, whom God raises up to confront, dismantle, and ultimately reverse the damage those powers cause.

FOUR HORNS

We have held that the four horns represent the successive world empires of Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome. These kingdoms served as instruments of God’s judgment, but their influence extended far beyond their historical existence.

The spirit and characteristics of these kingdoms continue to operate throughout history and are reflected in the composite beast described in Revelation 13. John depicts a beast possessing features of a leopard, a bear, and a lion, symbols that recall the earlier empires.

• Revelation 13:1-2 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.

Each kingdom contributed distinct characteristics:

• Greece represented speed, adaptability, and cultural influence.

• Persia embodied strength, structure, and enduring power.

• Rome demonstrated authority, dominance, and far-reaching influence.

• Behind them all stood the dragon, the spiritual power energizing these systems.

The result was not merely political domination but also the corruption and adulteration of true worship through the union of religious and worldly power.

FOUR CARPENTERS

In contrast to the horns, Zechariah sees four carpenters. The Hebrew term charash, translated as “carpenters”, refers to skilled craftsmen.

The meaning of the Hebrew expression used for the work of the four carpenters clarifies their purpose:

• “Fray” is charad, which means “to cause fear” (literally, “to cause to shudder”)

• “Cast out” is yadah, which means “to take with the hand” referering to using the hand to control something, to throw it aside, cast it down, etc.

The Hebrew terminology of these are skilled craftsmen emphasizes expertise, precision, and intentional work. They are not destroyers, like the horns, acting blindly; they are builders and restorers commissioned by God.

Their purpose is threefold:

1. To cause the opposing powers to tremble.

2. To cast down their influence.

3. To restore what had been damaged or scattered.

The carpenter’s work involves both removal and reconstruction. Before restoration can occur, corruption must be cut away. Before God’s image can be fully expressed, competing influences must be confronted and removed.

The initial object of the horns and the carpenters is Israel, but we believe that there is a dual prophetic fulfillment in this imagery that applies to the New Covenant church, as well. Israel was subjugated by the four successive empires of Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome, but there is no record that Israel was ever fully delivered from their subjugation or influence by the work of whatever the four carpenters might signify. The deliverance of Israel from that influence and the conditions created by those empires will be done through the work of the New Covenant church; it is the church that must do the “carpentry” work of rebuilding/restoring Israel’s relationship with God and freeing the Jews from their state of spiritual blindness and captivity. This will be done through the work of the four carpenters, which may represent four movements (periods of activity in the history of the church) that will eventually culminate in the restoration of the church, which will then lead to the restoration of Israel. Israel will not be restored until the church is restored and capable of assisting Israel in her restoration.

RESTORATION THROUGH PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENTS

The four carpenters may represent successive movements through which God has worked to restore truth and spiritual vitality to His people.

These movements might include:

• The Reformation Movement (1300s/1500s forward)

• The Holiness Movement (1700s/1800s forward)

• The Pentecostal Movement (1900s forward)

• The Restoration Movement (present day until the church is fully restored)

Viewed together, these movements form a progressive pattern of restoration of the New Covenant truth and order that had been obscured or lost during the wilderness period of the church (following its adulteration with the Roman empire). Each contributed to the removal of spiritual corruption and the recovery of biblical foundational truths and greater salvational insights and empowerment.

THE CALL TO COME OUT OF BABYLON

A major theme throughout Scripture is the call to separate from Babylon. Babylon should be understood not merely as a historical city or a single religious institution, but as a spiritual system characterized by compromise, corruption, and adulteration.

This theme appears repeatedly in both the Old and New Testaments:

• “Come out of her, my people” (Revelation 18:4)

• “Go ye forth of Babylon” (Isaiah 48:20)

• “Depart ye, depart ye” (Isaiah 52:11)

• “Remove out of the midst of Babylon” (Jeremiah 50:8)

The challenge is not merely to leave Babylon externally, but to remove Babylon’s influence internally. Spiritual restoration requires more than separation from corrupt systems; it demands purification of the heart. Babylon's influence within the Body of Christ can be far more dangerous than Babylon’s reach outside of us.

Jeremiah 51 contains a powerful description of the process of the removal of people from Babylon, and its influence from among God’s people:

• Jeremiah 51:1-2 Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, and against them that dwell in the midst of them that rise up against me, a destroying wind; / will send unto Babylon fanners, that shall fan her, and shall empty her land: for in the day of trouble they shall be against her round about.

Understanding the Hebrew expressions in this passage is insightful:

• “Fanners” is tsar, which can refer to “strangers/foreigners”, or with slightly different vowel points, it may be a reference to “winnowers", which is supported by the next key word

• “Fan” is tsarah, which means “to winnow”, “to take apart”, or even “to scatter”

Jeremiah’s prophecy presents another aspect of restoration. God declares that He will send “fanners” or “winnowers” against Babylon. Winnowing is the process of separating valuable grain from worthless chaff. Spiritually, this symbolizes the action of God’s Word and Spirit working together to expose error, remove impurity, and preserve what is genuine. True restoration is rarely comfortable. It often involves examination, correction, and separation. Yet its purpose is always redemptive: to produce a purified people capable of reflecting God’s righteousness.

Jeremiah continues his prophecy:

• Jeremiah 51:3-10 Against him that bendeth let the archer bend his bow, and against him that lifteth himself up in his brigandine: and spare ye not her young men; destroy ye utterly all her host. Thus the slain shall fall in the land of the Chaldeans, and they that are thrust through in her streets. For Israel hath not been forsaken, nor Judah of his God, of the LORD of hosts; though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel. Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for this is the time of the LORD’S vengeance; he will render unto her a recompence. Babylon hath been a golden cup in the LORD’S hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad. Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: howl for her; take balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed. We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed: forsake her, and let us go every one into his own country: for her judgment reacheth unto heaven, and is lifted up even to the skies. The LORD hath brought forth our righteousness: come, and let us declare in Zion the work of the LORD our God.

The symbolic interpretation the imagery of this passage is poignant:

• The archers that bend their bows (vs. 3): the bow is symbolic of the word of God or other belief system

  • Habakkuk 3:9 Thy bow was made quite naked, according to the oaths of the tribes, even thy word. Selah. Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers.

  • Psalm 45:1-9 …My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer. Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever. Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty. And in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things. Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king’s enemies; whereby the people fall under thee. Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad. Kings’ daughters were among thy honourable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir.

  • Genesis 49:22-24 Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall: The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him: But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:)

  • Revelation 6:1-2 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

• The golden cup (vs. 7) that made all the nations drunk is the poisoned (corrupted) perversion of the Scripture that Babylon offers to the world. False doctrine is like poison – drinking it will bring on judgment and bring about death.

  • Revelation 17:4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:

  • Revelation 17:2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. (Revelation 18:3, 19:2)

  • Revelation 14:8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

• In its spiritual fulfillment in the parallels with the Babylonish church, the Reformers souught to heal the Roman churches (to reform them): “We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed” (vs. 9) - but that system is so fully corrupted that it cannot be healed.

• Babylon will never produce righteousness; people seeking righteousness must come out of Babylon in order to find it, and if they do so, God will bring forth the righteousness of His people (vs. 10)

• Just as Babylon intoxicates nations through false doctrine and spiritual corruption, God confronts deception through truth. Revelation describes Babylon holding a golden cup that influences nations and kings. In contrast, God’s people are called to embrace truth, righteousness, and faithfulness.

SEVEN SHEPHERDS and EIGHT PRINCIPAL MEN

Micah 5:1-6 Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek. But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: [the last of the Bride company made up – what began in Revelation 12 with the woman bringing forth] then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel. [the restoration of the remnant of Israel: Isaiah 10:20-21, 11:11, Jeremiah 31:7-9, Romans 9:27-28, 11:11] And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth. And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men. And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders.

The seven shepherds and eight principal men mentioned in this passage are involved in a similar (though not perfectly parallel) work to the four carpenters in that they are bringing about the full restoration of God’s people, and of the world

The seven shepherds may be a picture of seven great apostles who will be leaders in the latter rain restored church or during the Millennial Reign period, who might be the same as the “seven thunders” in Revelation 10:

• Revelation 10:1-4 And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth, And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices. And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.

• Some have believed that these seven thunders were seven great apostles with seven thundering messages/ministries

• Some have taken the amount of baskets of food remaining after the two different feedings of the multitudes by Christ as a picture of two groups of apostles, the 12 in the Early Church (original church) and 7 in the Latter Church (last days church)

  • 5,000 fed by 5 loaves and 2 fish, and 12 baskets remained

  • 4,000 fed by 7 loaves and a few fish, and 7 baskets remained

The eight principal men in this passage may be eight great civil leaders, or movements (like the four carpenters may be) during the Millennial Reign period, working to undo the influence of the eight beastly systems (Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Pagan Rome, and Pseudo-Christian Rome, and the final eighth, latter days beastly power) that have influenced much of the world (especially the Western world) and subjugated and persecuted God’s people.

Just as the four carpenters are raised up to confront the four horns, the seven shepherds and eight principal men may represent leaders, or movements, through whom God advances His purpose of protection, restoration, and spiritual renewal.

The overarching message is consistent: whenever destructive powers arise to scatter God’s people, God raises up instruments of restoration.

Zechariah’s vision of the four horns and four carpenters presents a timeless picture of conflict between forces of corruption and God’s work of restoration. The horns symbolize systems that scatter, deceive, and dominate. The carpenters represent God’s answer: skilled servants raised up to remove corruption, restore truth, and rebuild what has been broken.

– Part 2

NOTE: In each of the following passages, I will note in brackets which Greek term is being used for ordination or foreordination. This is not an exhaustive list of every example of all of the words we just defined, because some of the occurrences of those terms are so clearly referring to the ordaining of someone in that day, and not to a foreordaining in the past, that we will not need to consider them. It is not my intent to go into a deep exegesis of each of these passages at this time (we will do that later); the point in examining these here is to establish which type of predestination they may be referring to:

• The predestined plan of God

• Predestined processes and conditions

• Predestined actions and events

• Individual people predestined to serve a purpose

• Corporate groups of people predestined to serve a purpose

• Corporate groups of people predestined to receive the promises of God

OR Calvinism’s conception of:

• Individual people predestined (before they were born) to inescapable salvation or damnation

THE GREEK TERMS EKLEGOMAI (“to choose” or “to select”) AND EKLEKTOS (“chosen” or “selected/elected”)

The following are passages in the New Testament where the preceding terms are used to refer to people being chosen or selected. As noted, we will examine which type of selection is being referred to and whether or not any of these passages describe individual people being selected, elected, or chosen by God, before their existence, to be saved eternally or destroyed eternally.

MATTHEW 20:16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen [eklektos].

• This is the last statement in a parable describing a householder hiring workers in his vineyard. These workers are hired at different times of the day and, as a result, some came in earlier and worked longer, but all receive the same wage: a penny.

• ALL of the laborers in the parable were called, and THEY chose to work, but not all of them had the same attitude about their payment; some of those who worked longer were not satisfied with their wage

• The Greek word eklektos (“chosen”) is in the plural, meaning that this is referring to a group

• There are two different groups in this statement: the larger group of those who God (who is whom the householder pictures) calls, who are many, and the smaller group of those who are chosen

• We will address this in more detail in the next passage we examine, but if those who are truly called (and given a place to work in God’s Kingdom) are also chosen, as Calvinism teaches, then there should be no difference between those He calls and those He chooses since, according to Calvinism, no one can respond to His call unless He has chosen them

• Those who are chosen are NOT chosen by God BEFORE He called them; they are chosen because of how they worked, and the spirit they worked in, after He called and hired them, and the attitude they had about the reward and, for that matter, their fellow laborers

• Calvinism holds that God gives salvation, including the abillity to respond to the call to come to Him, only to the elect, but here:

  • The householder repeatedly goes out to invite more workers.

  • He keeps expanding the group, not narrowing it.

  • He is the one who initiates the invitation, not the workers (which means this cannot just be human ministers evangelizing those who God never called)

  • He treats all who respond the same, regardless of when they came.

• This is the opposite of Calvinism’s idea that God has already decided who will receive saving grace and who will not.

• Calvinism says God gives an effectual call only to the elect, but in Matthew 20:

  • The master goes out early in the morning, then again at the third hour, again at the sixth hour, again at the ninth hour, and again at the eleventh hour

  • This is not selective predestination; this is a persistent, repeated, universal invitation.

• Calvinism says the elect were chosen before the foundation of the world, but Jesus says that “The last will be first, and the first last.”

  • This reverses human expectations and destroys the idea of a fixed, predetermined hierarchy or group of preselected individuals

    
    

MATTHEW 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen [eklektos].

• MATTHEW 22:1–14 provides a strong challenge to the Calvinistic doctrine of irresistible grace (the “I” in T.U.L.I.P.) because Jesus uses Calvinism’s own technical vocabulary and explicitly separates the terms “called” and “chosen”. In the parable, the king “sent his servants to call (kalesai) those who were invited (keklēmenous) to the wedding feast, but they would not come (ouk ēthelon elthein)” (22:3). The call is repeated; the invitees refuse, mock the invitation, and some even kill the servants. Others are then gathered from the highways. The parable concludes: “For many are called (klētoi), but few are chosen (eklektoi)” (22:14).

• Two clear conclusions follow:

  1. The calling is resistible
     The king issues a direct, personal call — repeatedly — and the invited guests refuse it. This is incompatible with Calvinism’s claim that the saving call cannot be resisted by the elect

  2. Jesus distinguishes the called from the chosen
     The called constitute the larger group; the chosen are a smaller subset. Calvinism’s effectual‑call doctrine identifies these groups as the same, but Jesus separates them. Luke 14:18 reinforces this pattern: those invited “all with one consent began to make excuse.”

• Put simply, the passage shows that God calls many who are not ultimately saved, contradicting the Calvinist claim that God only gives the saving call to the elect and that this call is irresistible.

• Calvinism teaches that the elect receive an effectual call while the non‑elect receive only an external call. But Matthew 22 separates calling from election in a way that shows the call is not identical with election, does not guarantee salvation, and is not limited to the elect. This undermines the idea that God only gives the saving call to those who are (supposedly) unconditionally chosen before creation.

• Both “called” and “chosen” are plural, indicating groups rather than predetermined individuals. The “many” who are called cannot be restricted to the elect, who — according to Calvinism — would respond irresistibly. Instead, the parable depicts a broad group who hear the call, and a smaller group who respond positively and are therefore chosen.

• Thus, those who are chosen are not the same as those who are called. The passage does not portray individuals predestined to salvation or damnation, but rather many people being genuinely called, who must then choose whether to respond. Those who respond positively are chosen — not because of a deterministic decree made before their creation, but because after being called, they freely responded, and that response is what leads to their being chosen.

MATTHEW 24:22-24, 24:31 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's [eklektos] sake those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect [eklektos]. …And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect [eklektos] from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. [paralleled in Mark 13:20-22, 13:27]

• All three of the examples of the Greek word eklektos (“elect”) are in the plural, which means they are referring to a group; thus, this is a corporate group who has been chosen, not specific individuals - a group can be predetermined to exist without all of the individuals in it being predetermined to be a part of that group

• In addition, the fact that this group of individuals is being referred to as “chosen” (“elect”) DOES NOT mean that they were chosen before they were born or that they were chosen by God to be saved despite their own choices; it simply refers to this group as being chosen, and even if it could be argued that each member was chosen, it does not tell us when or by what qualification they were chosen

• God predestined that there would be a group who are His corporate chosen people; whether or not you are a part of that corporate chosen group will depend upon YOUR choices.

LUKE 6:13 And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose [eklegomai] twelve, whom also he named apostles;

• This is not referring to Jesus (or God) having chosen the disciples to be saved; it is referring to them being chosen to fill the place and serve the purpose of being Jesus’ apostles

LUKE 18:7 — shall not God avenge his own elect [eklektos], which cry day and night unto him?

• The word eklektos (“elect”) is in the plural, pointing to this referring to a corporate group, not to an individual, but again, even if each person in this chosen group is individually elect, that does not tell us that God chose these individuals before they were born; it just tells us that He chose them - I believe that He chose them to be part of the group because when He called them, THEY chose to respond to that call

• The bottom line is that there is a vast difference between being chosen by God before you were even born to either be saved or destroyed, without any possibility of you changing that result, and someone being chosen by God because of their choices and responses to His call - remember that in Matthew 22:14, there is a difference between those who were called and those who were chosen; the primary difference is that those who were chosen are the ones who responded positively to the call.

LUKE 23:35 And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen [eklektos] of God.

• This is not a reference to Jesus being chosen to be saved; it refers to him being chosen to be the Messiah

JOHN 15:16, 15:19 — Ye have not chosen [eklegomai] me, but I have chosen [eklegomai] you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit. …I have chosen [eklegomai] you out of the world.

• As with all the examples we have seen of language about predestination or foreordination or being chosen in this way, all of the pronouns in this passage referring to the disciples are in the plural, meaning that Jesus is referring to a group that has been chosen

• Some Calvinists claim that this is referring to Jesus individually choosing the disciples to be saved prior to their decision to follow him, but this is not referring to being chosen for salvation; it is referring to him choosing them to be apostles: to fill a predestined position, role, and purpose - the context is apostolic appointment, not predestination to salvation

• John 15:16 is part of Jesus’ farewell statements to his eleven disciples (Judas left by this point), so he is speaking to men who have ALREADY followed Him.

• Jesus is not describing God choosing individuals for salvation before creation, or the Calvinistic ideas of irresistible grace or unconditional election; he is describing his selection of the apostles, their commission, their mission to bear fruit

• This is functional choosing, not salvific choosing; it is a calling to fill a purpose, not a calling to be eternally saved

NOTE: Due to the necessity of the strident statements that follow, married to my desire not to hurt or offend those who hold Calvinistic views, whom I love and respect, the remainder of this part of the study is only available to our members and supporting subscribers. Those who hold such positions are welcome to all of this material, but only if they willingly choose to access it with the understanding that some of my statements to those whom I am personally responsible for (members of churches I work with) are more forceful and direct on this issue than I would make in a public venue.

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Wayside, stony, and thorny ground each have specific limiting factors that keep the seed from being productive and having a long-term effect. The accounts of Matthew and Mark tell us that stony ground had “not much earth”, “no depth/deepness of earth, and, as a result, had “no root” (did not take root), the latter of which is repeated in Luke. The record of the parable in Matthew and Mark describe those in this state as having had no root in himself/themselves”. Luke adds that this ground “lacked moisture”. When we combine these descriptions, they suggest ground that is rocky or has a rock base covered by a shallow layer of soil. This shallow soil does not allow roots to develop to the necessary depth and lacks the density to hold the moisture essential for the seed to sustain life and growth.

THE LIMITATIONS OF STONY GROUND

Spiritually, not having sufficient deepness/depth of earth means that there is not enough room in the heart for the seed to grow and put down roots, and, as a result, there will be no rootwork within to anchor and stabilize the individual. This lack of room (depth) for rootwork may be due to several possible issues. It may be that the individual does not truly or fully believe in the Gospel message and is not willing to go “all in” by opening themselves up completely to it. The most likely challenges are that the stony nature of the heart, like wayside ground, is not permeable enough to allow the seed to penetrate deeply, and that the access available in the thin layer of soil present is simply not enough space to sustain the rootwork and outwork of the seed. Added to this is the problem of the lack of moisture needed to water the seed, which is, yet again, a result of the lack of depth of soil, which is the foundational cause of all of these issues.

This leads to the pressures present in stony ground that have the potential to uproot the seed that has been sown there. Without enough soil (enough room in the heart), the seed cannot grow and expand its rootwork: there will be no solid foundation to build on, nor to provide stability and strength in times of tribulation, persecution, and temptation. Spiritual strength and stability are not possible without a sufficient depth of relational rootwork.

THE PERILS OF STONY GROUND

The shallow depth of the soil on stony ground makes it exceptionally difficult to sustain spiritual growth and stability in the face of the preceding types of pressures. The seed springs up quickly, being received with joy and gladness, but the initial excitement it creates is like a quick, hot flash rather than a sustained forge fire. The stony ground hearer accepts the Gospel, but only understands its salvation message in a superficial, shallow, surface-level way. He has an excited, emotionally charged response to its benefits but lacks the depth of understanding to weigh its costs or recognize the responsibility it entails. He has not counted the cost of discipleship to Christ or has counted it and is unwilling to pay it.

He is eager to gain the inheritance promised in the Gospel, but is not enthusiastic about the necessity of giving more of himself to the process that will lead to that promise by putting down deeper roots and, like a tree, growing taller and stronger, so that he can stand the tempest shocks and storms of life. He does not understand or accept that the path to the promise is paved with pressure-tested processes intended to give the strength and stability to endure when the current crises appear to outweigh his future hope. He is not strong enough, due to his lack of roots and related limited depth and moisture, to stand in times of tribulation, persecution, or temptation.

Charles Spurgeon states, “I want you clearly to understand that the fault did not lie in the suddenness of their supposed conversion. Many sudden conversions have been among the best that have ever happened. Take, for instance, the case of Saul of Tarsus, struck down on the road to Damascus; within three days, his sight is restored to him, and he is baptized as a true, real, out-and-out Christian. There was great depth of earth in him, yet the seed sprang up very rapidly; and we have hundreds and even thousands of instances of persons who have been suddenly converted, and yet who have been truly converted. The work has been very thorough, nobody could doubt its genuineness, yet it took place quite unexpectedly, and was looked upon as a wonder. Do not judge the reality of your conversion either by the suddenness of it or by the length of time which it occupied; for it is true that superficial conversions are usually sudden, although all sudden conversions are not superficial. There are many who, in the sight of God, are not converted at all, who appeared as if they were the subjects of a great, remarkable, and complete change. Where there is no depth, there is no durability. That familiar proverb is a true one, ‘Easy come, easy go.’ As a general rule, those persons who have, as they say, ‘found religion’ all of a sudden, without any mental struggle, and who have never found it in their heart and soul, are the very people to let it go quite as readily whenever a time of trial comes.”^[1]

The three conditions of tribulation, persecution, and temptation that cause the stony ground hearer to reject the seed, and, as a result, to fall away from his relationship with the Lord, are forces that feed on self-centeredness and scorn self-sacrifice. A relationship with Christ is built on self-sacrifice: his sacrifice of himself that initiates your relationship with him and your sacrifice of self that is your reciprocal responsibility in that relationship. The type of self-sacrifice that is part and parcel of the process of salvation is that which is given and maintained under extreme duress and in the face of great difficulty, and it is that kind of pressure that a stony ground believer is not ready or willing to endure.

θλῖψις

The term translated as “tribulation” in Matthew 13:21 and “affliction” in Mark 4:17 is the Greek word thlipsis, which can mean “tribulation”, “trouble”, “affliction”, or “anguish”, but is most literally rendered as “pressure”. The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament notes that in its most literal sense, it means “‘to press,’ ‘squash’… or ‘hem in’”^[2] This could be pressure of any kind, though it is likely the kind of pressure that comes with general difficulty and distress, trouble and travail of various kinds, though probably not persecution since that is noted as a separate force.

διωγμός

“Persecution” in Matthew 13:21 and Mark 4:17 is the Greek word diogmos. Unlike thlipsis (“tribulation”), which can refer to all kinds of negative conditions, diogmos most often refers to being persecuted for your beliefs, especially religious beliefs. Its most literal meaning the chase or pursuit of someone. The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament defines it as meaning “to follow, persecute, pursue, press toward. Pursuit, particularly of enemies, persecution, hostile prosecution.”^[3] A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (commonly know as BDAG) adds that it describes “a program or process designed to harass and oppress someone, persecution (in our literature only for reasons of belief).”^[4]

πειρασμός

“Temptation” in Luke 8:13 is the Greek word peirasmós, which is closer in meaning to being tried or tested than it is to being tempted, in the sense of a temptation to sin. The Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (Louw-Nida) defines it as “to try to learn the nature or character of someone or something by submitting such to thorough and extensive testing—‘to test, to examine, to put to the test, examination, testing.’”^[5] Thus, as noted, it is unlikely to refer to the temptation to sin but is more likely describing trials and tests in general.

Though Luke’s account does not mention it specifically, the records of the parable in Matthew and Mark both associate these forces that lead to falling away from the truth, and a relationship with the Lord, with a rejection of the word of God:

• Matthew 13:21 …when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

• Mark 4:17 …when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.

The idea seems to be that the troubles of life (tribulations/afflictions), the attacks and oppression of those who are adversaries of the Christian faith (persecution), and the types of trials and tests that all must endure in order for them to grow in Christ and for their character to be shaped, are more than the stony ground believer is willing or able to stand. This is due to the fact that the seed of the word of God has not gone deep enough into his heart and the roots of his relationship with Christ have not been anchored securely enough to stand the pressures of such hardships. The same work that produces the fruit of the Spirit and the nature of Christ, in good ground, pushes the seed up and out of the thin soil of stony ground. The fiery trials that purify and increase the production of good ground are too hot for the shallow depth of stony ground and the weak plants it produces, that, without sufficient moisture of the Spirit of God, are unable to endure the heat of the sun.

Nichol explains that “The gospel seed that falls into the hearts of stony-ground hearers finds enough soil to germinate, but the soil is shallow and the effect of the gospel is at best superficial. The gospel appeals to their emotions, and they are quick to react to it, but the impression made by it passes with the fickle tide of emotion. The rock of selfishness prevents the gospel from effecting a reform in the life. Any effort to serve Christ is so hindered by the fundamental purpose in life to serve self that the gospel has little or no influence. …It is evident that the truth has a measure of appeal to them; they admit that it is good; but they love themselves. Quickly accepting what seems good at the moment, they fail to count the cost of discipleship; they do not apply the principles of the gospel to their lives and give it an opportunity to reform their patterns of thought and action. They are unwilling to face the fact that their habits must be changed.”^[6]

MacArthur adds a number of excellent insights, noting that “He has come to Christ for what he thought he would get in the way of personal benefit, but when confronted with the high cost of salvation, he will not pay the price. He has built his religious house on the sand of emotional experience, and when the storms of affliction or persecution beat on his house, it crumbles and washes away (Matthew 7:26-27). He has the foliage of a religious experience, but he has no root in spiritual reality and therefore cannot produce spiritual fruit, which, as Jesus goes on to say (Matthew 13:22-23), is the only reliable evidence of true conversion. …Sometimes shallow acceptance of the gospel is encouraged by shallow evangelism that holds out the blessings of salvation but hides the costs—such as repenting from sin, dying to self, and turning from the old life. When people are encouraged to walk down the aisle, raise their hand… without coming to grips with the full claims of Christ, they are in great danger of becoming further from Christ than they were before they heard the message. …The gospel prompts an immediate positive reaction, but it is temporary, and all the change is on the surface, rather than in the depths of his heart. His feelings were changed but not his soul. …If a person’s profession of Christ does not involve a deep conviction of sin, a genuine sense of lostness, a strong desire for the Lord to cleanse and purify, a hungering and thirsting for righteousness and a love of His Word, along with a genuine willingness to suffer for His sake, there is no root to his spiritual life and it will be only a matter of time before his religious house falls. It is encouraging, however, that the same persecution that makes the false believer wither will make the true believer stronger. …‘after you have suffered for a little while,’ Peter assures us, ‘the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you’ (1 Peter 5:10).”^[7]

^[1] Spurgeon, C. H. (1903). The Seed upon a Rock. In The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons (Vol. 49, p. 386). Passmore & Alabaster.

^[2] Schlier, H. (1964–). θλίβω, θλῖψις. In G. Kittel, G. W. Bromiley, & G. Friedrich (Eds.), Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (electronic ed., Vol. 3, p. 139). Eerdmans.

^[3] Zodhiates, S. (2000). In The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (electronic ed.). AMG Publishers.

^[4] Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., Bauer, W., & Gingrich, F. W. (2000). In A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (3rd ed., p. 253). University of Chicago Press.

^[5] Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). In Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 331). United Bible Societies.

^[6] Nichol, F. D., ed. (1980). The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary (Vol. 5, p. 404). Review and Herald Publishing Association.

^[7] MacArthur, J. (1985–1989). Matthew (Vol. 2, pp. 358–359). Moody Publishers.

MATTHEW 13:5-6, 13:20-21

Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

…But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

MARK 4:5-6, 4:16-17

And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth;and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

…And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.

LUKE 8:6, 8:13

And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up,it withered away, because it lacked moisture.

…They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.

There are two different views of what this stony ground is referring to: soil that is filled with stones or a base of rock with a layer of soil on it. Luke’s account refers to this ground as “a rock” that the seed fell upon, using the Greek word petra, which, in this type of context, refers to solid rock, not a stony area. This would seem to imply that this ground was a surface of rock, with no soil or, possibly, that the ground was solid with a limited amount of soil over the rock beneath it, which might be implied by the description of it lacking “depth of earth” and “deepness of earth”.

On the other hand, Matthew and Mark describe this as “stony places” and “stony ground”, which gives the impression of an area that might be good soil if the stones could be taken out of it. The Greek word used for those expressions is petrodes, which is a combination of petra (“rock”) and iedos, which refers to the “form” or “fashion” of something (the way it “appears”). That could convey the same idea found in Luke’s account: that this was ground that was in the form of stone (so to speak), or it may be referring to a different kind of ground: soil mixed with stones rather than a solid rock base without soil, or covered with a shallow amount of it.

We previously discussed the possibility that Luke’s account of this parable may have been taken from a different time and place than the accounts of Matthew and Mark, since they both refer to the parable being taught at the seaside, while Luke appears to describe a different location. If that is the case, then Luke’s parable may be a slightly different version, having the same central points but, possibly, with Jesus using some variation to address other issues.

That leaves us with a couple of options. If all three accounts of this Parable of the Sower were one single parable, without intentional variations, then Luke’s description of the ground as “rock” and not just “rocky soil” would have to qualify the other descriptions, making them all descriptions of rock that apparently had a layer of soil over it (and not just rocky soil). But, if Luke’s account is a slightly different version of the other accounts, with intentional differences, then we may be looking at one version (recorded in Matthew and Mark) with rocky soil (a mix of soil and rocks) and one version (recorded in Luke) with ground that is rock with a layer of soil over it, which each are potentially making slightly different points about slightly different types of ground. Though I believe the former is more likely than the latter, and all the accounts are intended to tell the same essential version of the Parable of the Sower, we will still look at what each might represent.

If the stony ground/places is describing what amounts to good soil that has stones in it, that must be removed to make it productive, it might be an example of the type of language regarding that process that is found in the prophecies of Isaiah:

• Isaiah 5:1-2 Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill: And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.

This prophecy is a description of God’s establishment of Israel, which was intended to be his spiritual vineyard. God prepared the land and also set up protections around it, so that it would be both productive and secure from spiritual adulteration. In what might be a similar description to the Parable of the Sower, if that parable is describing rocky soil, one of the things that God did to prepare Israel to be His spiritual vineyard was to gather out the stones that were in the land. There are deep symbolic meanings behind all of the pieces and parts of these statements in Isaiah 5 that I am not going to wade into here, since it will take us far afield (pun unintended), but this demonstrates how the stones must be gathered out of stony ground in order to make it productive soil. Unfortunately, in the case of Israel, depicted as the vineyard in Isaiah 5, even the best soil, the choice of the best prepared soil, and the best vine were not sufficient to produce what God was seeking; not because God failed in His part, of preparing the soil, protecting the vineyard, and planting it with the choicest vine, but because Israel failed to respond to the work of God.

This is very simple evidence that God does not do all the work necessary for us to produce what He intends us to produce. The work of salvation is not done by God or Christ alone; they provide us with every possible ingredient for success, but we have to do something with what they are providing us that is our part in the process of producing full salvation and the full spiritual maturation that is its end goal. God alone will not do all of the work of salvation, and we alone cannot do all of the work of salvation; it is intended to be a tandem operation where God provides all the tools and the instructions and the power to accomplish the job, but He expects us to do the work that He has given us and that He has empowered us to carry out.

• Isaiah 62:10 Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people.

This is another passage that some have tied to stony ground that is effectively good ground with stones in it, that must be gathered out in order to make it fertile and fruit-bearing. There are some issues with interpreting this passages in that way, though. First, the phrase translated as “gather out the stones” here is a different phrase in Hebrew than that translated as “gathered out the stones” in Isaiah 5:2, suggesting they are talking about two different types of operations. The expression in Isaiah 5:2 is used for removing stones, while the expression used here in Isaiah 62:10 is probably referring to gathering up stones to be used to pave the highway or to raise it up above the ground, which would be two opposite uses: one removing stones which are counterproductive and one placing stones in such a way as to be more constructive.

If the rock that the seed falls upon, described in Luke 8:6 and 8:13, is a base of rock under a layer of soil, that would point to a different spiritual lesson that seems to fit more harmoniously with the overall statements about stony ground, including the fact that its soil is not deep enough, does not allow for enough moisture to permeate it, etc.

Francis Nichol explains that “Apparently this does not refer to ground covered by loose stones, but rather to rocky ledges near the surface, covered with a thin layer of soil. Except in a few favored spots, rocky ledges such as these served effectively to limit the value of the hill country of Palestine as a region for farming. The… rock lying just beneath the surface of the soil absorbed heat and drove moisture from the soil above it. …Forthwith… That is, ‘immediately.’ [or, ‘soon after’] The additional heat in the soil reflected upward by the rock caused rapid germination. However, there was ‘no deepness of earth’ to store moisture and supply it to the roots as they reached out for it. They withered away. Germination was rapid, but so was withering. The only hope of stony-ground hearers is to be born again.”^[1]

As a side note on Nichol’s last statement, being baptized in the Holy Spirit is not the beginning and end of the whole process of being born again. Being born again is an operation that begins with the implantation of the seed of the word of God (just like a baby being conceived and born begins with the implantation of the seed):

• 1 Peter 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

• James 1:18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

• John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

Once the seed has been implanted in the heart, by the Spirit’s anointed work, the heart will be opened to the infilling ingress of the Spirit, which will then lead to being born again of the Spirit:

• John 3:3-8 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

We are spiritually conceived, and brought to life (to God) by the Spirit-inspired word of God, but we must then be brought to full birth by Holy Spirit baptism, and then we must grow and mature in our spiritual life as the Spirit lives and works in us and the word of God opens up the path before us and guides our steps upon it.

As a critical practical point of order, a person cannot be truly baptized in the Holy Spirit and born again without first having had the word of God implanted in their heart. That means that if we push a person to have an emotional experience or to mimic the signs of the baptism of the Holy Spirit (speaking in tongues) in order to claim we got someone filled with the Holy Spirit, but they never truly had the word of God first planted in their heart to open it to the Spirit, then it will be very obvious, over time that their supposed baptism in the Holy Spirit was nothing more than an emotionally worked up experience. Thus, a person appearing to speak in tongues is not absolute evidence that they have been born again. They must not only demonstrate that a foundational measure of the word of God has been sown into their heart, as a precursor of Spirit baptism, but they must also demonstrate growth, after they are baptized in the Spirit, as the evidence that what they have received is real.

The biblical standard is that all critical judgment requires two to three witnesses, especially regarding life and death issues. The two initial witnesses that a person has been born again are the evidence that the word of God has truly taken root in a person’s heart and the signs of the initial infilling of the Holy Spirit, the key one of which is the evidence of speaking in tongues. Notice which one I put first; true and genuine conversion must precede Holy Spirit baptism. God is not going to baptize someone with the Spirit who has not first exercised faith and offered repentance, even if those elements are not openly expressed or entirely conscious, as some might argue was the case with the experience of the household of Cornelius described in Acts 10. The final, third witness that testifies to the certainty that someone has been born again is the spiritual growth/development that occurs after they have had the word of God planted in their heart, bringing them to life spiritually (like a baby in the womb) and, then, after they are fully born of the Spirit of God, they will go forth walking and working in the Spirit until they grow up into full spiritual adulthood.

^[1] Nichol, F. D., ed. (1980). The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary (Vol. 5, p. 404). Review and Herald Publishing Association.

• Psalm 125:1-2 A Song of degrees. They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever. As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.

Though the context of this passage is clearly referring to geographic Zion and the mountains of Jerusalem, this could carry a dual meaning (both literal and spiritual) since the New Covenant order and operation of God “cannot be removed {and} abideth forever” as well.

• Psalm 132:13-14 For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation. This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it.

Again, the context may (initially at least) be referring to natural, geographical Jerusalem, but the Zion that God desires for “his habitation” now where he will “rest for ever” is, poetically and spiritually speaking, in the hearts of His New Covenant church and no longer in a house of stone or a single geographical location. Though I believe the Lord will operate from the locational area of Israel and Jerusalem, the New Covenant changes the concept of what His truest dwelling place is from a physical location to a spiritual location.

• Psalm 133:1-3 A Song of degrees of David. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.

This is yet another example of a reference to Zion that is dual in meaning (potentially both natural and spiritual). The greatest descent of the dew upon the mountains of Zion occurred spiritually in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2 and afterward. The unity behind these statements is that which is created by the anointing/outpouring of the Spirit – first by making us one single spiritual family by new birth and then by binding our hearts closer together in the Spirit over time. This began in the location of geographical Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, and that is where the Lord commanded the blessing (of receiving the Holy Spirit), but it did not end there – individuals are still receiving that blessing today and are doing so all over the world. Every time a person is filled with the Spirit or covered by its anointing, or a church where God’s people are gathering together in His name is permeated by His presence (His Spirit), it could be said that the dews have descended on Zion. Each church that constitutes the overall body of Christ (the Kingdom in its present form) might be said to be one of the “mountains of Zion” and thus Zion, in its New Covenant period sense, is not a single, geographical location but is defined as the place (or people) that God inhabits with His presence. Will God one day inhabit the location of literal, geographical Jerusalem again? – Revelation 21 and other passages appear to infer that He will, but His truest place of habitation now, under the New Covenant, is in the hearts of His people and in the places, throughout the earth, where those whose hearts He is indwelling gather together in His name.

• Isaiah 52:7-8 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion.

This is a dramatic example of a statement that could be taken in a dual sense. Its future fulfillment appears to begin with the restoration of the church and the unity of the ministry: the watchmen lifting up one (the) voice, singing together (in harmony), and seeing “eye to eye when the LORD shall bring again (restore) Zion.” The “good tidings, that publisheth peace {and}… salvation” is the message of the New Covenant Gospel, which means that this passage cannot be referring to God’s people under the old law and the Old Covenant. A dual sense of this statement might be intended as well since when the church is fully restored, it will pave the way, spiritually speaking, for Israel to be restored. This latter restoration (of Israel) has to be part of what this passage is alluding to, as it is the context of the verses in this chapter that precedes this statement, especially Isaiah 53:1-2, which are clearly referring to the nation of Israel being loosed from their captivity, both to the Gentile powers as well as to the Old Covenant law that is part of the “bands of {their} neck” and “yoke of bondage”^[1] they are presently attempting to live under.

• Isaiah 66:5-14 Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed. A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the LORD that rendereth recompence to his enemies. Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child. Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God. Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her: That ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations; that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory. For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then shall ye suck, ye shall be borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees. As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem. And when ye see this, your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like an herb: and the hand of the LORD shall be known toward his servants, and his indignation toward his enemies.

This is one of the most powerful prophetic passages which use the title Zion to refer to those who are God’s people under the New Covenant. Though elements of this passage might be dual in nature (referring to both the natural, Old Covenant period kingdom of Israel and the spiritual, New Covenant Kingdom of God’s people that are the church), it is certain that it is prophetic of the new Kingdom established by the New Covenant. The New Covenant church, which is the present expression of that Kingdom, was brought forth “in one day” (at one single point in time it was brought to birth) and “born at once” (in one single event) on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2. Some have attempted to argue this is a reference to Israel being brought forth as a nation at Mount Sinai in the events of the exodus, but that cannot be the case if this is referring to an event in the future (from Isaiah’s perspective) and not in the past, seven hundred years before Isaiah made this prophecy. The only future (to Isaiah) “nation…born at once… as soon as Zion travailed” was the New Covenant Kingdom of God that was brought into existence when the church was brought to birth, spiritually, on the day of Pentecost by the outpouring of and baptism in the Holy Spirit. This is heavily alluded to by the language of this passage, including the statement that “a voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the LORD” was heard. That “voice of noise” began with “a sound from heaven as of a mighty rushing wind”^[2] that translated into those who were born again and who became the first citizens (other than Christ) of that new Kingdom speaking “with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” resulting in that event being “noised abroad” throughout the city. It could be called a “voice of the from the temple, a voice of the LORD” in multiple ways. It was, in a poetic sense, the voice of God, by His Spirit, speaking through His people who were now the temples that He was existing in and speaking from.^[3] In an even deeper sense, it was the true temple/tabernacle in heaven^[4] from which the Spirit was outpoured, and it was from that temple/tabernacle, through the temples of the Spirit that were the New Covenant saints who were filled with that Spirit that God was speaking.

This “voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, {was} a voice of the LORD that rendereth recompense to his enemies” in the sense that the sound of the establishment of the New Covenant Kingdom and the church was a battle cry against the dark powers of this world and all who are enemies of God – when the children of the Most High, the spiritual warriors of the Kingdom who would eventually conquer every enemy, natural and spiritual, were brought to birth by the Holy Spirit, born and empowered for the conflict, the sound of the victory to come was heard.

In a literal sense, these events did occur in the city of Jerusalem, but it was not that natural city or the physical temple there that brought that new Kingdom to birth; it was “Jerusalem which is above… the mother of us all (all those who are born again New Covenant believers)”.^[5]

There may be several allusions to the future restoration of Israel in this passage as well. The declaration, in Isaiah 66:9, “Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God”, may convey that God would not shut the womb of Jerusalem which is above in regard to the nation of Israel after it had been opened to bring the New Covenant church to birth but would keep it open until all those remaining in natural Jerusalem (after His judgments) would be able to bring forth and be born again of the Spirit, which would cause all those who now mourn over the condition of presently apostate Israel to, “Rejoice… with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her” (Isaiah 66:10) – it will be a time of rejoicing when those remaining in Jerusalem, after God’s judgments upon that people are completed, turn to their Messiah and are born again of the Holy Spirit:

• Isaiah 4:3-4 And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem: When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.

This is yet another example of the dual nature of the title “Zion”, as this refers to those who remain in natural Zion (the Old Covenant conception of that title) who are “daughters of [natural} Zion” who will be, after their purging, “written among the living in Jerusalem”, the true and fullest fulfillment of which will not occur until they have been born again of “Jerusalem which is above” and enter into a New Covenant relationship with God and Christ, making them part of the true, spiritual Zion that now exists under the New Covenant.

An extension of the title Zion, seen in the last passage, which should at least be briefly addressed in discussing that title, is the expression, “daughter(s) of Zion”. At times this expression appears to be used for the population (the people) of Jerusalem or of Israel more generally. Like the references to Zion in the Scripture, it also appears to be dual in nature at times, sometimes referring to the genetic Israelites or literal citizens of literal Jerusalem and sometimes to the spiritual, New Covenant people of God – or, just as in the case of the title Zion, referring to the first initially and to the second in a deeper prophetic future fulfillment. The simplest way to explain this is that if a person was a citizen of Jerusalem (or in some sense of Judah or of overall Israel) in the Old Covenant period, they might be referred to as part of the group that is called the “daughter(s) of Zion” – now though, after the establishment of the New Covenant, Zion is (at least primarily) a picture of the church or of Jerusalem which is above. Her daughters are the churches (plural) or the Spirit-filled believers who are the spiritual citizens of that new Kingdom.

All the preceding points and passages demonstrate that the term “Zion” refers to the central place of God’s order and operation where His presence is among His people and, by extension, “the daughter(s) of Zion” refers to His people. Prior to the establishment of the New Covenant, this “Zion” was primarily used to refer to Jerusalem, a portion of that city, or in some cases to corporate Israel (or Judah) in general, and “the daughter(s) of Zion” referred to the citizens of that city or nation. Under the New Covenant, and in Old Testament passages referring (whether in a dual sense or otherwise) to Zion and her daughters in their future state during the New Covenant period, those titles are used to refer to the Kingdom consisting of the New Covenant people of God among whom God is present, the church, and potentially, when referring to the daughter of Zion, to the Bride or to the body of Christ. These titles may still apply now under the New Covenant to the genetic children of Abraham as they did under the Old Covenant if and when they become a part of the New Covenant and are grafted back into the spiritual people of God and the Kingdom.^[6]

This understanding of Zion is not unique; it has been one of the most commonly held conceptions of that title from the earliest Christian period. Gill explains this conception of Zion, “By Zion is meant the church of God, especially under the Gospel dispensation; (see Hebrews 12:22; Revelation 14:10 so-called, because, as Zion was, it is the object of God’s love and choice, the place of his habitation and residence; where divine worship is observed, and the word and ordinances of God administered; and where the Lord distributes his blessings of grace; and which is the perfection of beauty, through Christ’s comeliness put upon her; and will be the joy of the whole earth: it is strongly fortified by the power and grace of God, and is immovable and impregnable, being built on Christ, the Rock of ages; and, like Zion, it is an high hill, eminent and visible; and more especially will be so when the mountain of the Lord’s house is established upon the tops of the mountains: and it is an holy one, through the presence and worship of God in it, and the sanctification of his spirit. And over this hill, the church, Christ is King….”^[7] Cassiodorus (one of the oldest early Christian commentators on this passage) notes that “Here we must interpret Sion as the Church; the psalmist calls her a mountain because of the eminence of her distinction and the unshakeability of her faith. Sion in Hebrew means ‘a watch-tower,’ a suitable name for the Church since she is well equipped to attain future hopes, and she observes the Lord’s promises with mental foresight, boasting not so much in present blessings as in future ones. So the Church is rightly called Sion, because her hope is fixed in the strength of her contemplation. Christ is truly her King since she is governed and apportioned by Him.”^[8]

^[1] Galatians 5:1.

^[2] Acts 2:2.

^[3] 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, 6:19, 2 Corinthians 6:16, Ephesians 2:21 (in a corporate sense), etc.

^[4] Hebrews 8:2, 9:23-24, etc.

^[5] Galatians 4:26.

^[6] Romans 11:17-24, etc.

^[7] Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 3, p. 530). London: Mathews and Leigh.

^[8] Cassiodorus. (1990). Cassiodorus: Explanation of the Psalms. (W. J. Burghardt & T. C. Lawler, Eds., P. G. Walsh, Trans.) (51st ed., Vol. I, p. 61). New York; Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press.